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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 116 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: saw · scale · pitcher · calf · current · bat · court · leaves

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. saw — the tool
  4. current — of water
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. court — for sport
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. court — of a king
  11. bat — the animal
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. court — of law
  16. scale — in music
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. current — happening now
  19. current — electric
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. pitcher — a jug

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