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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: track · current · capital · mouse · snap · bass · game · cabinet

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. current — of water
  3. game — a match
  4. current — happening now
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. track — a path
  7. bass — low music
  8. track — a song
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. current — electric
  12. snap — to click
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. capital — money
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. game — wild animals
  19. track — to keep track
  20. capital — a city
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bass — the fish

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