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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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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 · can · file · swing · current · cue · race · ruler

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. file — a tool
  3. cue — for pool
  4. swing — to play on
  5. cue — a hint
  6. can — a tin
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. race — humankind
  9. file — a line of people
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. swing — in golf
  12. file — a document
  13. current — of water
  14. cue — a signal
  15. can — a tin
  16. current — happening now
  17. can — to be able to
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. swing — music
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. current — electric
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. race — a contest
  24. race — the arms race

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