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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 · pitch · pitcher · lean · bore · field · coach · wave

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  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. firm — a company
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. bore — to drill
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. field — a subject
  13. lean — thin
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. lean — to bend
  16. field — for sport
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bore — to tire
  20. firm — steady
  21. field — farmland
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — a sports field
  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