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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 116 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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. rest — what's left
  5. current — of water
  6. rest — what's left
  7. pitch — completely
  8. cue — a hint
  9. squash — to crush
  10. current — electric
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. cue — a signal
  13. current — happening now
  14. kid — child
  15. cue — for pool
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. squash — the sport
  18. rest — a break

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