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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  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. clip — for paper
  2. mark — a trace
  3. spring — a coil
  4. cue — a signal
  5. cue — a hint
  6. object — to protest
  7. object — an aim
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. current — electric
  10. clip — to cut
  11. clip — a video
  12. object — a thing
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mate — a partner
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. cue — for pool
  17. mate — a friend
  18. pitch — completely
  19. mark — a grade
  20. spring — of water
  21. current — happening now
  22. mate — to breed
  23. spring — the season
  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