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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: pitch · board · pop · mouse · coach · row · wake · mark

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. mark — a grade
  6. pop — to visit
  7. row — a line
  8. pitch — completely
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. pop — soda
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mark — a trace
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. board — a committee
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. row — to paddle
  18. wake — a trail
  19. pop — music
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. board — to get on
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. board — a flat piece

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