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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 116 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: mine · mouse · coach · root · rule · pitch · current · hand

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mine — for digging
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. root — of a word
  6. current — electric
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. current — of water
  12. root — the cause
  13. current — happening now
  14. hand — help
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. hand — in cards
  17. rule — government
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. rule — a law
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. pitch — completely

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