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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pop · pitcher · coach · season · pitch · fine · bay · spell

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. fine — all right
  3. season — in sport
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. fine — high quality
  8. spell — magic
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. spell — letters
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. season — of the year
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. pop — soda
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. pop — to visit
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. spell — a short time

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