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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pit — in a race
  4. object — an aim
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. mate — to breed
  7. pit — a hole
  8. object — to protest
  9. craft — boats
  10. object — a thing
  11. can — a tin
  12. current — electric
  13. current — of water
  14. can — to be able to
  15. clip — to cut
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. mate — a friend
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. craft — a skill
  20. mate — a partner
  21. current — happening now
  22. clip — a video
  23. clip — for paper
  24. can — a tin

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