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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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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. game — a match
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. current — electric
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. current — happening now
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bore — to drill
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. sharp — clever
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. current — of water
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. game — wild animals
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. arm — a part of something

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