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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: fine · perch · pitcher · tube · calf · current · hand · ground

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. fine — all right
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. current — happening now
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. ground — the earth
  11. perch — the fish
  12. hand — in cards
  13. ground — crushed
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. current — electric
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. ground — a position
  20. current — of water
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. tube — the underground
  24. hand — help

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