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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: coach · can · craft · bark · fine · rock · pitch · content

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. pitch — completely
  10. bark — to shout
  11. fine — all right
  12. rock — a stone
  13. fine — high quality
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — boats
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. content — happy
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. content — the amount
  24. rock — music

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