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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: craft · patient · cell · arm · pitcher · present · current · swing

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — electric
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. craft — boats
  5. present — there
  6. present — the time now
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. current — of water
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. craft — a skill
  12. swing — music
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. cell — in biology
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. swing — in golf
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. present — a gift
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. cell — a phone
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. swing — to play on

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