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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cue — a hint
  4. content — happy
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. file — a document
  8. chest — a box
  9. kid — child
  10. key — in music
  11. current — happening now
  12. key — the most important part
  13. file — a line of people
  14. file — a tool
  15. chest — of your body
  16. ball — a great time
  17. key — for a lock
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. content — the amount
  20. chest — of your body
  21. current — of water
  22. ball — a dance
  23. cue — a signal
  24. kid — to tease

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