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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. track — to keep track
  3. squash — the sport
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. cue — a hint
  6. bulb — for light
  7. current — of water
  8. rule — a law
  9. squash — to crush
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. bulb — for light
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rule — government
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. cue — for pool
  17. current — happening now
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. track — a path
  20. track — a song
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. current — electric
  24. racket — for tennis

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