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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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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: fork · swing · bay · coach · foot · mouse · pitch · saw

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. saw — the tool
  8. swing — music
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. swing — to play on
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. swing — in golf
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. foot — a measure
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. saw — the tool
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. fork — in a road
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. pitch — completely
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. bay — a horse colour

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