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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: pitcher · swing · pound · straw · coach · can · wound · bore

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. bore — to tire
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. can — a tin
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. wound — an injury
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. can — to be able to
  13. swing — to play on
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. swing — in golf
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. can — a tin
  21. swing — music
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bore — to drill

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