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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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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: arm · swing · current · march · sharp · suit · mug · bound

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. current — electric
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. suit — to fit
  5. swing — to play on
  6. mug — to rob
  7. current — of water
  8. bound — certain
  9. march — the month
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. current — happening now
  12. swing — music
  13. suit — in cards
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. march — music
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. bound — obliged
  18. mug — a face
  19. sharp — clever
  20. march — the month
  21. suit — clothes
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bound — tied together
  24. swing — in 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