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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: current · cabinet · racket · game · mug · straw · pass · pound

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. game — a match
  4. current — electric
  5. mug — a cup
  6. pound — a weight
  7. current — of water
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. game — wild animals
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. mug — a face
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. current — happening now
  18. mug — to rob
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. pass — a permit

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