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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: cabinet · spell · pitcher · track · wind · coach · shower · firm

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. shower — to wash
  4. firm — steady
  5. firm — decided
  6. track — a song
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. spell — a short time
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. track — to keep track
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. spell — magic
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. spell — letters
  16. track — a path
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. wind — moving air
  19. shower — rain
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. firm — a company
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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