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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: pitcher · pass · current · wound · coach · spell · rest · can

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. wound — an injury
  6. rest — what's left
  7. current — happening now
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. spell — letters
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. current — of water
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. can — a tin
  15. wound — an injury
  16. spell — magic
  17. spell — a short time
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. current — electric
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pass — a permit
  22. rest — a break
  23. rest — what's left
  24. pitcher — a jug

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