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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 · temple · row · chip · foot · wake · coach · snap

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  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. snap — to snap out of it
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. foot — a measure
  10. row — to paddle
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. row — a line
  15. chip — to eat
  16. wake — a trail
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. snap — to click
  21. chip — for betting
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. foot — part of the body
  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