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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
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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: last · fine · coach · mark · fan · sharp · pitcher · craft

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. last — final
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. craft — a skill
  8. mark — a trace
  9. sharp — clever
  10. last — finally
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. mark — a grade
  13. craft — boats
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. fine — high quality
  21. last — to go on
  22. fine — all right
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. sharp — with an edge

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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