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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: rash · prune · saw · can · clip · current · game · mouse

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. clip — a video
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. rash — hasty
  8. current — electric
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. clip — for paper
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. clip — to cut
  13. can — a tin
  14. prune — to trim
  15. game — wild animals
  16. current — happening now
  17. rash — a series
  18. current — of water
  19. game — a match
  20. can — to be able to
  21. saw — the tool
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. can — a tin

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