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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 · shower · clip · rash · net · chip · pitch · current

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. shower — rain
  3. pitch — completely
  4. current — electric
  5. current — of water
  6. clip — a video
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. clip — for paper
  9. net — in sport
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. clip — to cut
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. chip — to eat
  16. shower — to wash
  17. rash — a series
  18. current — happening now
  19. net — for catching
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. rash — hasty
  24. net — after costs

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