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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 120 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: net · field · current · content · arm · rash · craft · pitcher

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — in sport
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. current — happening now
  9. field — a subject
  10. craft — boats
  11. rash — a series
  12. field — farmland
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. net — for catching
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. field — for sport
  17. current — electric
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. content — happy
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. craft — a skill
  22. rash — hasty
  23. current — of water
  24. content — the amount

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