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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. game — wild animals
  7. current — electric
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. net — for catching
  10. cue — a hint
  11. net — in sport
  12. cue — for pool
  13. net — after costs
  14. cue — a signal
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. current — happening now
  18. game — a match

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