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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 116 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: wake · pitcher · squash · current · trunk · straw · pass · coach

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. squash — the sport
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. current — happening now
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. current — of water
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — a permit
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. squash — to crush
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. current — electric
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. wake — a trail
  24. straw — a straw man

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