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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
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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: current · arm · safe · wound · rash · prune · court · mark

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. current — happening now
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rash — a series
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. court — of a king
  10. prune — to trim
  11. mark — a grade
  12. current — electric
  13. mark — a trace
  14. rash — hasty
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. wound — an injury
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. current — of water
  20. wound — an injury
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. court — of law
  23. prune — to trim
  24. arm — a part of something

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