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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. current — electric
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. current — happening now
  6. prune — to trim
  7. fine — high quality
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. current — of water
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. bark — to shout
  17. fine — all right
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. pitch — completely
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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