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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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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 · capital · object · pound · snap · mouse · bank · current

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bank — of a river
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. current — happening now
  8. object — a thing
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. pound — a weight
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. current — electric
  13. object — an aim
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. snap — to click
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. current — of water
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. capital — a city
  21. bank — for money
  22. object — to protest
  23. bank — for money
  24. capital — money

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