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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. cue — for pool
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. land — a country
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. current — of water
  13. current — happening now
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. current — electric
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. rash — a series
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. cue — a signal
  22. land — ground
  23. land — to come down
  24. cue — a hint

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