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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
468
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: spring · arm · cue · pit · drill · current · leaves · club

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. drill — the tool
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. spring — a coil
  8. club — a group
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. spring — of water
  11. spring — the season
  12. current — electric
  13. pit — in a race
  14. cue — for pool
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. drill — army training
  17. pit — a hole
  18. current — of water
  19. cue — a signal
  20. club — for dancing
  21. cue — a hint
  22. current — happening now
  23. drill — a practice
  24. club — for golf

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