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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: pitch · pass · object · squash · current · present · season · last

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. present — the time now
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. last — to go on
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. present — there
  7. squash — to crush
  8. current — happening now
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. season — in sport
  11. squash — the sport
  12. object — to protest
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. last — final
  15. last — finally
  16. present — a gift
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pitch — completely
  20. object — an aim
  21. current — of water
  22. season — of the year
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. object — a thing

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