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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 120 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: pitch · wake · current · mouse · chest · pass · last · nail

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. current — happening now
  5. wake — a trail
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. chest — of your body
  8. current — of water
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. chest — a box
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. last — final
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pitch — completely
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. current — electric
  20. last — finally
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. chest — of your body
  24. pass — to succeed

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