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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 · roll · hide · pitch · bank · mouse · mug · stand

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. bank — for money
  5. mug — a face
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. bank — for money
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pitch — completely
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. current — electric
  12. mug — to rob
  13. current — of water
  14. stand — to bear
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. roll — a cake
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. roll — a list
  23. current — happening now
  24. mug — a cup

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