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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: squash · pitch · bass · hide · coach · nail · bulb · current

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. current — electric
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. current — happening now
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. squash — the sport
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bass — low music
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. squash — to crush
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. current — of water
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pitch — completely
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. hide — to keep secret

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