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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cap · current · bound · season · pitcher · drill · leaves · arm

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. bound — certain
  3. drill — army training
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. drill — the tool
  6. current — of water
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. current — electric
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. bound — obliged
  13. cap — a hat
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. drill — a practice
  17. season — of the year
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. cap — of ice
  21. cap — a lid
  22. current — happening now
  23. bound — tied together
  24. pitcher — a jug

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