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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 120 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: game · chip · pitcher · calf · craft · drill · swing · coach

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. swing — in golf
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. craft — a skill
  6. swing — to play on
  7. craft — boats
  8. drill — a practice
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. chip — to eat
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. game — wild animals
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. drill — the tool
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. drill — army training
  19. game — a match
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chip — for betting
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. game — a kind of play

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