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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: arm · mouse · current · ball · charge · pitcher · row · cap

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. ball — a great time
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — of water
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. row — a line
  10. ball — a dance
  11. cap — a lid
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. cap — of ice
  16. charge — in control
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. cap — a hat
  21. current — electric
  22. charge — electricity
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. row — to paddle

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