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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: swing · squash · pitch · stick · hand · coach · wax · bear

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. squash — to crush
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. swing — to play on
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. bear — the animal
  14. swing — in golf
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. wax — to grow
  17. swing — music
  18. squash — the sport
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. hand — in cards
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pitch — completely
  23. hand — help
  24. bear — the animal

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