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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: mouse · last · current · ground · present · bass · club · pitch

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. present — a gift
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. current — of water
  6. last — to go on
  7. ground — crushed
  8. last — final
  9. club — for dancing
  10. present — there
  11. pitch — completely
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. ground — the earth
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. current — electric
  16. ground — a position
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bass — low music
  20. club — a group
  21. bass — the fish
  22. last — finally
  23. club — for golf
  24. present — the time now

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