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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.

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: mouse · bat · object · chip · saw · pass · stand · current

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. current — electric
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. pass — a permit
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. object — to protest
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. chip — for betting
  18. bat — the animal
  19. current — happening now
  20. object — a thing
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. chip — to eat
  23. object — an aim
  24. stand — to bear

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