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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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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: coach · calf · land · current · pitch · craft · bass · face

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. craft — boats
  3. pitch — completely
  4. land — a country
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. face — to confront
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. current — electric
  9. face — to point toward
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. bass — low music
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bass — the fish
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. current — happening now
  18. craft — a skill
  19. land — to come down
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. face — part of the head
  24. land — ground

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