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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: kick · bark · mug · pitcher · arm · squash · nail · current

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. squash — the sport
  3. kick — in football
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. mug — a cup
  12. current — of water
  13. bark — to shout
  14. mug — a face
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. mug — to rob
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. squash — to crush
  22. current — electric
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. kick — a thrill

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