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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: current · mouse · pitcher · arm · dip · file · patient · bark

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. current — electric
  4. file — a document
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. file — a tool
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. current — of water
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. file — a line of people
  21. dip — to sink
  22. bark — to shout
  23. current — happening now
  24. arm — a part of something

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