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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. rush — hurry
  3. current — of water
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. pitch — completely
  6. cue — a hint
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. craft — a skill
  9. band — a music group
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. cue — for pool
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. band — a ring
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bass — the fish
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. current — happening now
  22. bass — low music
  23. craft — boats
  24. current — electric

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