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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: scale · saw · land · pitcher · current · bat

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. current — electric
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. saw — the tool
  5. current — happening now
  6. land — to come down
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. current — of water
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. scale — size or range
  12. land — a country
  13. scale — in music
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bat — the animal
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. land — ground

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