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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 · perch · last · bass · club · pitch · coach · nail

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. club — a group
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. bass — low music
  5. club — for dancing
  6. current — electric
  7. current — happening now
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. last — final
  13. bass — the fish
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. last — finally
  16. club — for golf
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pitch — completely
  19. last — to go on
  20. current — of water
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. perch — the fish
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. coach — a trainer

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