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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bat · current · pitcher · row · bowl · chair · mine · hide

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. current — happening now
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. current — electric
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. current — of water
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. row — to paddle
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. row — a line
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. chair — a leader
  24. pitcher — a jug

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