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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: calf · pitch · pitcher · patient · mate · coach · wake · racket

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. wake — a trail
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — a friend
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. mate — to breed
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. pitch — completely
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. racket — for tennis

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