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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 will it ________________ you to start?
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. fork — in a road
  3. drill — a practice
  4. cue — for pool
  5. suit — in cards
  6. suit — clothes
  7. chest — of your body
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. race — a contest
  10. race — humankind
  11. chest — of your body
  12. current — electric
  13. drill — army training
  14. mark — a trace
  15. cue — a hint
  16. current — happening now
  17. current — of water
  18. drill — the tool
  19. mark — a grade
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. chest — a box
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. race — the arms race
  24. cue — a signal

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