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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: arm · bowl · pitcher · rock · hand · cell · mug · current

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. mug — a face
  3. hand — help
  4. cell — a phone
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. current — happening now
  8. mug — a cup
  9. mug — to rob
  10. current — electric
  11. current — of water
  12. rock — music
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. cell — in biology
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. rock — a stone
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. hand — in cards

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