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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: current · mug · snap · pitcher · season · squash · band · wave

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mug — a face
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. snap — to click
  7. current — of water
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. band — a ring
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. season — of the year
  14. mug — a cup
  15. squash — to crush
  16. current — happening now
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. squash — the sport
  22. band — a music group
  23. current — electric
  24. season — in sport

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