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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.

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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 · pitcher · fan · perch · coach · stem · hand · snap

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. perch — the fish
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. swing — music
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. stem — to come from
  12. hand — help
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. hand — in cards
  17. swing — in golf
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. snap — to click
  21. swing — to play on
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. hand — part of the body

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