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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 · saw · squash · date · rock · hand · can · current

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. squash — to crush
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. can — a tin
  5. squash — the sport
  6. current — electric
  7. current — of water
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. can — to be able to
  10. rock — music
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. rock — a stone
  13. saw — the tool
  14. hand — help
  15. can — a tin
  16. current — happening now
  17. saw — the tool
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. hand — in cards
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. date — the fruit
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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