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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: net · pitch · tube · last · rock · current · present · face

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. current — electric
  3. present — the time now
  4. last — final
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. tube — the underground
  7. present — there
  8. pitch — completely
  9. current — of water
  10. last — to go on
  11. net — in sport
  12. tube — a container
  13. last — finally
  14. net — after costs
  15. face — part of the head
  16. rock — a stone
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. face — to confront
  19. current — happening now
  20. face — to point toward
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. rock — music
  24. net — for catching

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