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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
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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: can · plane · racket · race · tear · wake · pitcher · coach

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wake — a trail
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. race — humankind
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. tear — from crying
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. race — the arms race
  12. race — a contest
  13. can — to be able to
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. tear — from crying
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. tear — to rip
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. coach — a trainer

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