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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: firm · game · mouse · hide · coach · pitcher · fan · rash

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. game — wild animals
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. firm — a company
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. firm — steady
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. game — a match
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. rash — hasty
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. firm — decided

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