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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: coach · calf · fan · hand · date · pop · racket · pitch

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. pop — to visit
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. date — the fruit
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. pitch — completely
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. pop — music
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. hand — in cards
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. hand — help
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. coach — a trainer

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