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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: current · tube · pitcher · can · press · bat · saw · staff

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. saw — the tool
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. can — a tin
  7. bat — the animal
  8. staff — employees
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. staff — employees
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. can — to be able to
  14. current — of water
  15. current — happening now
  16. tube — a container
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. press — a publisher
  19. press — to push
  20. current — electric
  21. staff — a stick
  22. can — a tin
  23. press — newspapers
  24. tube — the underground

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