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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: date · chair · current · mouse · pass · chip · last · mine

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pass — a permit
  4. current — electric
  5. last — final
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. date — the fruit
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. last — finally
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. current — of water
  17. chip — to eat
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. chair — a leader
  20. current — happening now
  21. mine — for digging
  22. chip — for betting
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. mine — an explosive

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