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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: sharp · degree · can · face · current · coach · prune · pitch

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. face — to point toward
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. can — a tin
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitch — completely
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to confront
  10. degree — from a university
  11. sharp — clever
  12. current — happening now
  13. degree — temperature
  14. degree — an amount
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. prune — to trim
  17. current — of water
  18. prune — to trim
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. can — to be able to
  22. can — a tin
  23. prune — the fruit
  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