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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. cue — a hint
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. cue — for pool
  7. current — of water
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. current — electric
  10. drill — the tool
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. cue — a signal
  13. mine — for digging
  14. drill — a practice
  15. current — happening now
  16. deal — to handle
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mouse — the animal

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