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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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. clip — a video
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. object — an aim
  7. clip — for paper
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. kick — in football
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. current — electric
  13. clip — to cut
  14. pit — in a race
  15. object — a thing
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. pit — a hole
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. current — of water
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. object — to protest
  24. current — happening now

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