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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 · mouse · snap · coach · squash · field · pitcher · toast

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. current — electric
  6. current — happening now
  7. field — a subject
  8. snap — to click
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. squash — the sport
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. field — for sport
  16. squash — to crush
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. current — of water
  20. toast — bread
  21. field — farmland
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. toast — the most admired

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