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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 120 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: racket · saw · rush · foot · coach · pitch · field · craft

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. rush — hurry
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. field — a subject
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. pitch — completely
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. field — for sport
  15. field — farmland
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. craft — boats
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. foot — a measure
  20. craft — a skill
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. racket — a loud noise
  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