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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. rush — hurry
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. current — electric
  13. fall — the season
  14. board — a committee
  15. current — happening now
  16. fall — to drop
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. board — to get on
  19. current — of water
  20. dip — to sink
  21. fall — to drop
  22. pitch — completely
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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