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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: pitcher · current · pound · hand · net · firm · mouse · calf

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. firm — a company
  3. net — for catching
  4. current — electric
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. current — happening now
  8. hand — in cards
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. firm — decided
  13. current — of water
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. net — in sport
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. hand — help
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pound — a weight
  24. firm — steady

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