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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pitch · cold · branch · tear · current · dip · rash · coach

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. cold — an illness
  3. dip — to sink
  4. rash — hasty
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. tear — from crying
  8. current — happening now
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. current — of water
  12. cold — not warm
  13. pitch — completely
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. rash — a series
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. tear — to rip
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. tear — from crying
  24. branch — a division

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