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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. cue — a signal
  3. wound — an injury
  4. toast — bread
  5. current — of water
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. chip — to eat
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cell — a phone
  12. current — happening now
  13. current — electric
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. foot — a measure
  16. mug — to rob
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chip — for betting
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. mug — a cup
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. cell — in biology
  23. cue — for pool
  24. wound — an injury

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