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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: deal · pitcher · game · last · swing · coach · field · mug

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. field — farmland
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. game — wild animals
  5. mug — to rob
  6. deal — to handle
  7. game — a match
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. field — for sport
  13. field — a subject
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. mug — a face
  16. swing — music
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. swing — in golf
  20. last — to go on
  21. last — final
  22. swing — to play on
  23. last — finally
  24. coach — a trainer

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