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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: current · chair · jam · saw · court · chest · present · pitch

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. chair — a leader
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. chest — a box
  8. current — of water
  9. pitch — completely
  10. saw — the tool
  11. current — electric
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. present — the time now
  14. chest — of your body
  15. saw — the tool
  16. chest — of your body
  17. court — of law
  18. present — a gift
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. present — there
  21. court — of a king
  22. court — for sport
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. chair — a professorship

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