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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 116 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
468
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 · content · pitch · current · rock · row · chair · coach

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. chair — a leader
  3. rock — music
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. row — a line
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. plane — a tool
  9. current — of water
  10. rock — a stone
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. current — electric
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. content — happy
  16. current — happening now
  17. content — the amount
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. row — to paddle
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. pitch — a sports field

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