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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.

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: saw · current · coach · mine · bowl · pitcher · track · mouse

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. current — electric
  8. saw — the tool
  9. current — of water
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. saw — the tool
  12. track — to keep track
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. mine — for digging
  19. current — happening now
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. track — a song

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