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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: nail · mine · rash · pit · ground · arm · current · season

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. rash — a series
  3. current — happening now
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. current — of water
  6. season — in sport
  7. rash — hasty
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. pit — in a race
  10. current — electric
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. pit — a hole
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. mine — for digging
  16. ground — crushed
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. ground — the earth
  22. season — of the year
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. ground — a position

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