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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: wake · row · sharp · trunk · coach · squash · key · pitcher

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  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. pitcher — in baseball
  2. wake — a trail
  3. key — the most important part
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. squash — the sport
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. row — to paddle
  17. key — for a lock
  18. row — a line
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. key — in music
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. squash — to crush
  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