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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. cue — a signal
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bass — low music
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. shower — rain
  7. current — electric
  8. content — the amount
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. wound — an injury
  11. cue — a hint
  12. bass — the fish
  13. current — of water
  14. content — happy
  15. current — happening now
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. cue — for pool
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wound — an injury
  24. shower — to wash

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