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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. current — happening now
  3. net — for catching
  4. scale — size or range
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. current — of water
  7. cue — for pool
  8. rule — a law
  9. craft — a skill
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. net — in sport
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. current — electric
  16. rule — government
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. scale — in music
  19. bass — low music
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. net — after costs
  22. bass — the fish
  23. cue — a hint
  24. craft — boats

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