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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: net · chest · suit · pound · pitcher · coach · key · perch

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. net — after costs
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. chest — of your body
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. net — for catching
  10. suit — to fit
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. chest — a box
  13. key — in music
  14. chest — of your body
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. net — in sport
  18. pound — a weight
  19. key — the most important part
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. suit — clothes
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. key — for a lock
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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