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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stem · coach · hand · swing · key · pitcher · perch · racket

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. swing — in golf
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. hand — help
  5. swing — music
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. hand — in cards
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. stem — to come from
  11. swing — to play on
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. perch — the fish
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. key — the most important part
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. key — for a lock
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. key — in music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com