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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: march · ball · arm · lash · cabinet · chip · ruler · current

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. chip — to eat
  3. march — the month
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. march — music
  10. current — happening now
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. march — the month
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. current — of water
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. current — electric
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. chip — for betting
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. ruler — for measuring

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