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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: snap · current · present · leaves · scale · court · spell · pitcher

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. current — electric
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. present — the time now
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. current — of water
  8. court — for sport
  9. present — there
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. snap — to click
  13. court — of law
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. current — happening now
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — letters
  18. spell — magic
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. scale — in music
  22. present — a gift
  23. court — of a king
  24. scale — size or range

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