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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: racket · kid · hand · mouse · saw · board · tube · current

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. current — of water
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. tube — a container
  6. board — a committee
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tube — the underground
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. kid — to tease
  15. current — electric
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. hand — help
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. kid — child
  22. hand — in cards
  23. current — happening now
  24. board — to get on

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