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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 · track · current · court · charge · prune · coach

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. court — for sport
  3. prune — to trim
  4. charge — a price
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. track — a song
  7. current — of water
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. track — to keep track
  10. board — to get on
  11. track — a path
  12. pitch — completely
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. current — happening now
  15. court — of a king
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. court — of law
  18. current — electric
  19. charge — electricity
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. prune — to trim
  24. charge — in control

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