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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: drill · row · coach · net · pitcher · stick · fork · patient

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. drill — the tool
  3. fork — in a road
  4. drill — army training
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. drill — a practice
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. net — for catching
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. net — after costs
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. row — a line
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. row — to paddle
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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