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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: object · date · pitch · current · rest · snap · mouse · game

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. rest — what's left
  4. snap — to click
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. game — wild animals
  7. rest — what's left
  8. current — of water
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. current — electric
  13. object — a thing
  14. rest — a break
  15. object — an aim
  16. current — happening now
  17. game — a match
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — the fruit
  21. object — to protest
  22. pitch — completely
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. mouse — the animal

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