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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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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: current · mouse · chair · bore · pit · squash · arm · race

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. current — of water
  3. race — humankind
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. race — a contest
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. chair — a leader
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. squash — the sport
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. current — happening now
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. current — electric
  19. race — the arms race
  20. bore — to tire
  21. pit — a hole
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. squash — to crush
  24. bore — to drill

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