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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. cue — a signal
  3. track — a path
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. cue — for pool
  8. spring — of water
  9. bat — the animal
  10. branch — a division
  11. track — a song
  12. foot — a measure
  13. cue — a hint
  14. spring — a coil
  15. spring — the season
  16. current — electric
  17. track — to keep track
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. current — happening now
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pass — a permit
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. foot — the bottom

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