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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. current — of water
  3. cue — for pool
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. cold — not warm
  6. cue — a hint
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. cold — an illness
  10. lie — to recline
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. board — to get on
  13. ball — a great time
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. current — happening now
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bear — the animal
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. cue — a signal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. board — a committee

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