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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: pitch · race · current · drill · lie · mug · present · mouse

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. drill — army training
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. lie — to recline
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. race — the arms race
  7. mug — a cup
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. race — humankind
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. current — electric
  12. drill — the tool
  13. present — a gift
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. current — of water
  16. race — a contest
  17. current — happening now
  18. present — the time now
  19. mug — a face
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. present — there
  22. pitch — completely
  23. drill — a practice
  24. lie — an untruth

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