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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  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. rush — hurry
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. march — music
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. current — electric
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. march — the month
  12. saw — the tool
  13. capital — money
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. saw — the tool
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. capital — a city
  18. current — of water
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. march — the month
  23. rush — to hurry
  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