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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: rash · coach · craft · last · swing · rock · perch · pitcher

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rock — a stone
  5. last — to go on
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. perch — the fish
  9. craft — a skill
  10. rash — a series
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. swing — in golf
  13. rock — music
  14. swing — music
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. last — final
  18. craft — boats
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. last — finally
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. perch — for a bird

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