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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: coach · pitcher · hand · content · stick · wound · can · mouse

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. content — happy
  5. hand — in cards
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — an injury
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. content — the amount
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hand — help

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