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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
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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: game · pass · drill · current · spell · pitcher · spring · clip

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. current — electric
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. spell — magic
  5. spell — letters
  6. spring — a coil
  7. current — of water
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. current — happening now
  10. clip — for paper
  11. drill — a practice
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. game — wild animals
  14. drill — the tool
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. clip — a video
  18. drill — army training
  19. game — a match
  20. clip — to cut
  21. spring — of water
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spring — the season
  24. pitcher — a jug

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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