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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · kid · mark · arm · racket · fan · wave · mine

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mark — a trace
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. kid — child
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. kid — to tease
  19. current — electric
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. current — of water
  24. current — happening now

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