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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: mug · bound · current · swing · arm · track · bark · deal

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. track — to keep track
  4. mug — a cup
  5. track — a song
  6. bound — obliged
  7. swing — to play on
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. mug — a face
  10. current — electric
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. track — a path
  14. deal — to handle
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. swing — music
  18. bound — certain
  19. current — of water
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. bound — tied together
  22. current — happening now
  23. mug — to rob
  24. swing — in golf

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