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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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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: arm · current · pit · net · rock · snap · shower · kid

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. rock — a stone
  4. shower — to wash
  5. current — electric
  6. current — of water
  7. net — in sport
  8. shower — rain
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pit — a hole
  11. net — after costs
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. snap — to click
  14. current — happening now
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. kid — to tease
  22. rock — music
  23. kid — child
  24. rock — to move gently

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