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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. pit — in a race
  5. cue — a signal
  6. pit — a hole
  7. cue — a hint
  8. track — to keep track
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. current — electric
  13. ball — a dance
  14. track — a song
  15. track — a path
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. current — happening now
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. cue — for pool
  24. ball — a great time

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