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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: file · cue · band · date · current · mouse · last · pitch

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. current — happening now
  3. last — to go on
  4. file — a document
  5. band — a music group
  6. file — a tool
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. band — a ring
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. pitch — completely
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. last — final
  16. current — of water
  17. cue — a hint
  18. file — a line of people
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cue — a signal
  21. date — the fruit
  22. last — finally
  23. current — electric
  24. mouse — the animal

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