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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
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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: coach · fork · board · net · rash · spell · fan · pitcher

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. rash — a series
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — letters
  10. board — to get on
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. net — in sport
  14. fork — in a road
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. board — a committee
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — for catching
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. spell — magic
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fan — a supporter

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