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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: pitcher · current · mouse · saw · chair · arm · ball · degree

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. degree — an amount
  5. current — happening now
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. degree — temperature
  13. degree — from a university
  14. ball — a great time
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. ball — a dance
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. chair — a leader
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. current — of water
  24. current — electric

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