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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: bat · rule · chair · can · current · arm · deal · dip

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. bat — the animal
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. rule — government
  6. chair — a leader
  7. rule — a law
  8. can — a tin
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. dip — to sink
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. deal — to handle
  15. current — happening now
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. current — electric
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. can — to be able to
  24. current — of water

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