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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: sharp · rash · bowl · spell · pitch · capital · current · arm

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. spell — a short time
  3. current — electric
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. spell — letters
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. capital — a city
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rash — hasty
  13. current — happening now
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitch — completely
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. spell — magic
  18. rash — a series
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. sharp — clever
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. capital — money

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