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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: bulb · racket · cabinet · coach · pitcher · wake · kid · present

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. kid — child
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. wake — a trail
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. kid — to tease
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. bulb — for light
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bulb — for light
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. present — there
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. present — a gift
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. present — the time now

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