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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.

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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: current · row · suit · pound · pitch · object · coach · tear

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  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. row — a line
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. current — of water
  4. row — to paddle
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. current — happening now
  7. suit — in cards
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. object — an aim
  12. tear — from crying
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. object — to protest
  18. tear — to rip
  19. object — a thing
  20. suit — clothes
  21. tear — from crying
  22. suit — to fit
  23. current — electric
  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