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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. chest — of your body
  3. cap — of ice
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. swing — in golf
  6. swing — music
  7. cue — for pool
  8. swing — to play on
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. cap — a lid
  11. current — electric
  12. cap — a hat
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. chest — a box
  15. current — happening now
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — a hint
  18. chest — of your body
  19. can — a tin
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. can — a tin
  24. current — 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