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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: board · cold · coach · pitch · track · pit

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. cold — not warm
  6. board — to get on
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. track — to keep track
  9. board — a committee
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. track — a path
  12. cold — an illness
  13. pit — in a race
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. pit — a hole
  16. track — a song
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pitch — completely

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