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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 120 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
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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: last · current · stock · coach · dip · squash · pitch · hand

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — of water
  3. last — finally
  4. current — electric
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. hand — in cards
  8. squash — to crush
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. last — to go on
  11. squash — the sport
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. stock — shares
  14. pitch — completely
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. stock — goods
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. last — final
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. hand — help
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. dip — to sink

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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