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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: coach · scale · lash · craft · last · bowl · can · pitcher

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. can — to be able to
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. last — finally
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. craft — a skill
  12. can — a tin
  13. scale — size or range
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. craft — boats
  17. last — final
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. scale — in music
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. can — a tin
  23. last — to go on
  24. scale — for weighing

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