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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 124 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: tube · content · mine · current · coach · bay · racket · pit

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tube — a container
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. content — happy
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. current — of water
  11. content — the amount
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. current — electric
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. pit — in a race
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. mine — for digging
  24. racket — for tennis

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