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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: scale · saw · land · pitcher · current · bat · rash · rest

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. bat — the animal
  4. scale — in music
  5. rest — a break
  6. land — a country
  7. rash — hasty
  8. land — ground
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. rash — a series
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. land — to come down
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. current — happening now
  17. scale — size or range
  18. current — electric
  19. saw — the tool
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — what's left
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. current — of water
  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