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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: lean · saw · pitcher · ball · fan · coach · nail · pop

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. ball — a great time
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. pop — soda
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. pop — music
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. pop — to visit
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. saw — the tool
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. saw — the tool
  22. lean — to bend
  23. ball — a dance
  24. ball — a round shape

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