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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 120 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 · lean · charge · rock · pitch · current · rest · pop

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. pop — soda
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. lean — thin
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. current — of water
  8. rock — a stone
  9. current — electric
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. pop — to visit
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. lean — to bend
  15. pop — music
  16. charge — a price
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. current — happening now
  19. charge — in control
  20. pitch — completely
  21. rock — music
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — a break

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