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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
468
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: mine · leaves · bank · current · pitch · game · craft · arm

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. game — a match
  4. craft — a skill
  5. current — of water
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. craft — boats
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bank — for money
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. bank — for money
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. current — electric
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. current — happening now
  18. pitch — completely
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. game — wild animals
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mine — an explosive

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