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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: leaves · current · cabinet · bat · kid · fine · arm · net

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. kid — child
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. fine — all right
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. fine — high quality
  9. net — after costs
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. net — for catching
  12. net — in sport
  13. kid — to tease
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. bat — the animal
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. current — electric
  20. current — happening now
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. current — of water
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. cabinet — ministers

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