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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: arm · cold · can · mug · current · craft · squash · court

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. can — a tin
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. court — for sport
  5. mug — a face
  6. mug — to rob
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. cold — an illness
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. current — electric
  11. current — happening now
  12. craft — boats
  13. squash — to crush
  14. squash — the sport
  15. can — a tin
  16. mug — a cup
  17. court — of a king
  18. craft — a skill
  19. court — of law
  20. can — to be able to
  21. cold — not warm
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. current — of water

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