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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. cue — a signal
  3. court — of a king
  4. current — of water
  5. can — to be able to
  6. spring — of water
  7. spring — the season
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. current — electric
  10. degree — temperature
  11. can — a tin
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. cue — a hint
  15. degree — an amount
  16. cue — for pool
  17. board — a committee
  18. court — for sport
  19. degree — from a university
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. court — of law
  22. spring — a coil
  23. board — to get on
  24. can — a tin

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