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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: current · race · coach · pitch · can · rock · press · key

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. press — to push
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. current — electric
  5. can — a tin
  6. key — for a lock
  7. can — a tin
  8. race — the arms race
  9. key — in music
  10. race — humankind
  11. pitch — completely
  12. can — to be able to
  13. current — of water
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. rock — a stone
  16. key — the most important part
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. press — newspapers
  20. press — a publisher
  21. race — a contest
  22. current — happening now
  23. rock — music
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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