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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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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: bear · arm · foot · current · season · kid · ruler · march

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — music
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. kid — child
  5. bear — the animal
  6. march — the month
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. current — of water
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. bear — the animal
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. kid — to tease
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. season — of the year
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. current — happening now
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. season — in sport
  23. foot — a measure
  24. current — electric

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