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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. drill — the tool
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. drill — a practice
  6. cue — for pool
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mine — for digging
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. cue — a signal
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. current — of water
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. branch — a division
  18. cue — a hint
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. drill — army training
  22. deal — to handle
  23. current — happening now
  24. current — electric

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