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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mug · foot · court · kid · pitch · bass · drill · current

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. mug — to rob
  3. foot — a measure
  4. kid — child
  5. current — of water
  6. current — happening now
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. drill — the tool
  9. drill — a practice
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — low music
  12. kid — to tease
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. court — of law
  15. court — for sport
  16. drill — army training
  17. pitch — completely
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mug — a face
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. court — of a king
  23. current — electric
  24. bass — the instrument

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