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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.

Make a worksheet

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: coach · game · drill · leaves · kid · file · mug · pitch

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. file — a document
  3. kid — to tease
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. file — a line of people
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. game — a match
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. drill — a practice
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. drill — the tool
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. mug — a cup
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. file — a tool
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. mug — to rob
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. game — wild animals
  21. drill — army training
  22. pitch — completely
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. kid — child

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