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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: fan · pitch · coach · mug · chip · current · chest · lean

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. current — electric
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. current — happening now
  8. pitch — completely
  9. lean — thin
  10. mug — a cup
  11. chest — of your body
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lean — to bend
  14. current — of water
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. chest — of your body
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. chip — to eat
  19. mug — to rob
  20. chest — a box
  21. mug — a face
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. chip — for betting
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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