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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: mouse · club · rush · fine · capital · arm · dip · current

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. rush — hurry
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. current — of water
  6. fine — high quality
  7. club — a group
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. capital — a city
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. club — for dancing
  16. fine — all right
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. current — electric
  19. dip — to sink
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. current — happening now
  23. capital — money
  24. dip — to dunk

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