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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.

Make a worksheet

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: wax · pit · pitcher · current · chair · cell · mark · hand

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. cell — a phone
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mark — a trace
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. pit — a hole
  9. hand — help
  10. cell — in biology
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. current — electric
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. wax — to grow
  21. current — happening now
  22. pit — in a race
  23. hand — in cards
  24. cell — in a prison

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