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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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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: deal · mouse · jam · pitch · current · kid · arm · chip

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — of water
  3. kid — to tease
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. deal — to handle
  13. current — electric
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. chip — to eat
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. chip — for betting
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. kid — child
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. pitch — completely
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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