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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: cabinet · mark · current · wound · arm · racket · ball · bat

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bat — the animal
  4. ball — a great time
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. current — of water
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. mark — a grade
  13. current — happening now
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. current — electric
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. wound — an injury
  21. ball — a dance
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. wound — an injury

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