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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 · current · tube · bulb · field · rock · charge · calf

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. field — farmland
  5. rock — music
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. charge — in control
  8. current — of water
  9. tube — the underground
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. field — for sport
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. tube — a container
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. rock — a stone
  18. bulb — for light
  19. charge — electricity
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. current — electric
  23. current — happening now
  24. charge — a price

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