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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bowl · coach · pitcher · patient · mate · pitch · wave · squash

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. mate — a friend
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. squash — to crush
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. pitch — completely
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. mate — to breed
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. squash — the sport
  23. pitch — a sports field
  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