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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mug · arm · ball · mate · field · wind · nail · current

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. mate — a friend
  4. wind — moving air
  5. current — electric
  6. field — farmland
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. mate — a partner
  12. field — a subject
  13. current — of water
  14. ball — a dance
  15. mate — to breed
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. ball — a great time
  18. field — for sport
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mug — to rob
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. mug — a face
  24. wind — moving air

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