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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: cap · bore · coach · track · hand · pitch · charge · current

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  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. current — happening now
  2. hand — help
  3. cap — of ice
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. current — of water
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. track — a song
  11. cap — a lid
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. charge — electricity
  14. cap — a hat
  15. current — electric
  16. charge — a price
  17. hand — in cards
  18. bore — to drill
  19. charge — in control
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a path
  22. pitch — completely
  23. bore — to tire
  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