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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 120 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: club · current · rush · mug · spell · degree · arm · content

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. club — for golf
  3. content — happy
  4. rush — hurry
  5. degree — temperature
  6. spell — magic
  7. current — happening now
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. current — electric
  10. spell — a short time
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. current — of water
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. mug — a cup
  15. spell — letters
  16. club — a group
  17. degree — an amount
  18. mug — a face
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. degree — from a university
  21. club — for dancing
  22. mug — to rob
  23. content — the amount
  24. arm — part of the body

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