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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 116 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: mug · pitcher · court · coach · scale · pitch · nail · prune

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. scale — in music
  3. scale — size or range
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. court — for sport
  6. court — of a king
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. mug — a cup
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. prune — to trim
  11. mug — a face
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. pitch — completely
  23. mug — to rob
  24. prune — to trim

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