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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: coach · branch · current · pound · pitcher · bass · bay · land

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. land — ground
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. bass — the fish
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — a division
  12. current — of water
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bass — low music
  17. current — electric
  18. land — a country
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. current — happening now
  24. pound — for dogs

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