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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: cap · stick · coach · foot · bay · pitcher · cold · rush

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. cap — a lid
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. rush — hurry
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cold — not warm
  16. cap — of ice
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. cap — a hat
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. cold — an illness
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. foot — a measure

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