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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: saw · field · net · current · mark · pitcher · scale · mouse

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. net — for catching
  3. field — farmland
  4. current — electric
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. mark — a trace
  8. saw — the tool
  9. net — after costs
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. field — for sport
  12. saw — the tool
  13. current — happening now
  14. scale — size or range
  15. field — a subject
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. net — in sport
  18. mark — a grade
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. current — of water
  23. scale — in music
  24. mark — to pay attention

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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