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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: mug · coach · toast · stem · arm · pitcher · kid · fork

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. fork — in a road
  3. mug — a face
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. kid — child
  7. mug — a cup
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. toast — bread
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. stem — to come from
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. kid — to tease
  24. mug — to rob

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