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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. current — of water
  3. current — happening now
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. bound — certain
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — a series
  8. bound — obliged
  9. wind — moving air
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. court — for sport
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. court — of law
  17. bound — tied together
  18. pass — a permit
  19. current — electric
  20. court — of a king
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bat — the animal
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bat — in an idiom

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