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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: pop · fall · bank · current · pitch · band · coach · pitcher

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  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. current — of water
  2. bank — of a river
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. band — a ring
  7. current — electric
  8. pitch — completely
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. bank — for money
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. band — a music group
  16. pop — music
  17. fall — to drop
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bank — for money
  22. fall — the season
  23. pop — soda
  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