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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: file · kid · can · cap · board · coach · race · current

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. can — to be able to
  3. file — a document
  4. board — to get on
  5. cap — a lid
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. file — a line of people
  8. cap — of ice
  9. can — a tin
  10. file — a tool
  11. race — humankind
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. board — a committee
  14. current — of water
  15. kid — child
  16. current — electric
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. cap — a hat
  20. can — a tin
  21. race — the arms race
  22. race — a contest
  23. current — happening now
  24. kid — to tease

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