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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 120 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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. spring — the season
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. current — happening now
  8. cue — a hint
  9. pass — a permit
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. saw — the tool
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. squash — to crush
  15. squash — the sport
  16. current — of water
  17. saw — the tool
  18. spring — a coil
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cue — for pool
  24. spring — 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