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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. cap — of ice
  4. mate — to breed
  5. staff — a stick
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. ground — crushed
  8. mate — a partner
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cap — a lid
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. ground — a position
  13. cap — a hat
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. ground — the earth
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. mate — a friend
  18. staff — employees
  19. current — electric
  20. cue — a signal
  21. current — of water
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. staff — employees
  24. current — happening now

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