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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.

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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: fork · suit · coach · lash · pitcher · pop · bank · kid

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pop — soda
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bank — for money
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. kid — to tease
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. suit — in cards
  10. suit — clothes
  11. pop — to visit
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bank — for money
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. pop — music
  18. suit — to fit
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. kid — child
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bank — of a river

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