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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.

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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: capital · mouse · last · pop · tube · pitch · plane · current

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. last — finally
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — the underground
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. capital — money
  9. last — to go on
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. plane — a tool
  12. tube — a container
  13. capital — a city
  14. pop — soda
  15. pop — music
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. current — of water
  22. pitch — completely
  23. last — final
  24. current — happening now

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