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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: fork · drill · pit · stand · perch · coach · pitcher · calf

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. drill — army training
  16. drill — a practice
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stand — to bear
  20. pit — in a race
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. perch — the fish
  23. drill — the tool
  24. perch — for a bird

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