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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: fan · nail · pass · hand · cell · coach · pitcher · staff

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pass — a permit
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. staff — employees
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. staff — employees
  10. hand — help
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. hand — in cards
  20. staff — a stick
  21. cell — in biology
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. cell — a phone
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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