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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: wake · dip · sharp · foot · pitcher · mark · current · coach

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. wake — a trail
  4. current — electric
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. current — happening now
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. dip — to sink
  10. mark — a trace
  11. foot — a measure
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. sharp — clever
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. mark — a grade
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. current — of water

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