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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: plane · coach · club · current · shower · suit · pitch · scale

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. pitch — completely
  3. suit — in cards
  4. club — a group
  5. scale — in music
  6. plane — a tool
  7. current — electric
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. suit — clothes
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. current — happening now
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. shower — rain
  16. club — for dancing
  17. current — of water
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. suit — to fit
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. scale — size or range
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. shower — to wash

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