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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. kid — to tease
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cue — for pool
  6. dip — to sink
  7. sharp — clever
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. mark — a grade
  10. current — happening now
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cue — a signal
  16. current — of water
  17. current — electric
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. chair — a leader
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. kid — child

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