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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: wave · track · kid · coach · pitcher · stick · club · present

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. track — to keep track
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. track — a path
  8. club — for golf
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. kid — child
  11. present — a gift
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. kid — to tease
  14. present — there
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. club — for dancing
  17. present — the time now
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. track — a song
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. club — a group
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  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