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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: ground · can · pitch · lean · current · coach · bark · clip

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. current — happening now
  4. clip — for paper
  5. current — of water
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. ground — a position
  12. pitch — completely
  13. clip — to cut
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. ground — the earth
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. ground — crushed
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. lean — thin
  20. clip — a video
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. current — electric
  23. lean — to bend
  24. bark — to shout

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