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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 · board · fork · staff · current · pitcher · season · nail

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. current — happening now
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. season — in sport
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. board — a committee
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. staff — employees
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. current — of water
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. staff — a stick
  20. season — of the year
  21. staff — employees
  22. current — electric
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. board — to get on

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