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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: mug · board · mouse · current · rash · arm · pitch · chest

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. chest — of your body
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. chest — a box
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. rash — hasty
  11. pitch — completely
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. current — electric
  14. board — to get on
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. current — happening now
  20. mug — a face
  21. rash — a series
  22. current — of water
  23. chest — of your body
  24. mug — to rob

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