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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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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: pitcher · key · tear · fork · wave · jam · coach · kid

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  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. kid — child
  2. key — for a lock
  3. tear — to rip
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. key — in music
  6. fork — in a road
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. kid — to tease
  14. key — the most important part
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. tear — from crying
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. tear — from crying
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  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