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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: pitch · mug · face · coach · row · squash · track · kick

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a line
  4. face — to point toward
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. face — to confront
  7. mug — a face
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. track — a song
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. track — a path
  14. track — to keep track
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. squash — the sport
  17. mug — a cup
  18. squash — to crush
  19. kick — in football
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pitch — completely
  22. face — part of the head
  23. kick — with a leg
  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