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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: pitcher · bark · cabinet · current · bat · lean · coach · pitch

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. lean — thin
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bark — to shout
  10. current — of water
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bat — the animal
  14. lean — to bend
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. current — happening now
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bat — for baseball

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