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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
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: coach · pound · nail · leaves · pitcher · racket · pass · game

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pass — a permit
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. game — a match
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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