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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rest · current · ball · pitcher · press · mine · kick · coach

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. kick — in football
  3. ball — a great time
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. press — a publisher
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. rest — a break
  8. current — of water
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. press — newspapers
  11. mine — for digging
  12. press — to push
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — what's left
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. current — electric
  23. ball — a dance
  24. current — happening now

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