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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 · fork · pitch · net · squash · fine · march · arm

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. march — music
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. fine — high quality
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. net — for catching
  7. squash — to crush
  8. fine — all right
  9. net — after costs
  10. pitch — completely
  11. march — the month
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. net — in sport
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. march — the month
  24. squash — the sport

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