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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: pitcher · can · drill · firm · current · pitch · spell · coach

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. current — of water
  4. spell — letters
  5. pitch — completely
  6. drill — the tool
  7. firm — decided
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. firm — a company
  10. can — to be able to
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. spell — magic
  13. current — electric
  14. drill — army training
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — a tin
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. current — happening now
  19. firm — steady
  20. drill — a practice
  21. spell — a short time
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. pitcher — a jug

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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