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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: fan · cabinet · coach · roll · object · plane · pitcher · stick

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. roll — a list
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. object — to protest
  16. object — an aim
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. roll — a cake
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. plane — a tool

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