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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.

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: fine · fan · straw · net · pitch · bore · wave · coach

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. bore — to tire
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. pitch — completely
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fine — all right
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. net — in sport
  17. fine — high quality
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. net — for catching
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bore — to drill
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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