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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: stick · pitcher · hide · pass · swing · field · coach · mouse

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. pass — a permit
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. field — a subject
  11. swing — music
  12. field — farmland
  13. field — for sport
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. swing — to play on
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. swing — in golf
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. mouse — for a computer

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