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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: pound · coach · pitcher · rule · bass · current · pass · foot

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. current — happening now
  5. pass — a permit
  6. foot — a measure
  7. bass — low music
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bass — the fish
  10. current — electric
  11. rule — government
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. rule — a law
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pound — a weight
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. current — of water
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. pass — to succeed

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