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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: stick · coach · board · sharp · ground · file · pitcher · snap

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. file — a document
  3. ground — the earth
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. snap — to click
  7. file — a line of people
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. ground — crushed
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. board — to get on
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. board — a committee
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. sharp — clever
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. ground — a position
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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