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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 · season · kick · mug · object · file · pitcher · saw

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. object — to protest
  3. saw — the tool
  4. mug — to rob
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. kick — in football
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. season — in sport
  9. file — a line of people
  10. mug — a face
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. file — a document
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. object — an aim
  17. mug — a cup
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — of the year
  21. saw — the tool
  22. object — a thing
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. file — a tool

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