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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: current · toast · squash · pitch · coach · nail · staff · stem

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. staff — employees
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. staff — a stick
  6. squash — the sport
  7. current — happening now
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitch — completely
  13. stem — to come from
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. squash — to crush
  17. current — of water
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. staff — employees
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. current — electric

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