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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: pitcher · cap · ground · coach · race · rule · perch · rush

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. rule — government
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. cap — of ice
  6. ground — a position
  7. cap — a lid
  8. ground — crushed
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. ground — the earth
  11. race — a contest
  12. rule — a law
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. race — the arms race
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rush — hurry
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. race — humankind
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. cap — a hat
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. perch — the fish
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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