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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. 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. cue — a signal
  2. cue — a hint
  3. current — electric
  4. net — in sport
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. bulb — for light
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. current — happening now
  9. bulb — for light
  10. net — after costs
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. scale — in music
  13. cue — for pool
  14. scale — size or range
  15. net — for catching
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. 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