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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.

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: coach · bowl · cabinet · stick · pop · prune · calf · pitcher

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. pop — soda
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pop — to visit
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. prune — to trim
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bowl — a dish

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