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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: roll · bound · arm · current · craft · rash · date · racket

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — hasty
  4. craft — boats
  5. roll — a cake
  6. current — happening now
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. current — of water
  9. craft — a skill
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. current — electric
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — the fruit
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. bound — certain
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. roll — a list
  20. bound — tied together
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. racket — for tennis

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