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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. cue — for pool
  3. bear — the animal
  4. swing — music
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. mine — for digging
  8. squash — to crush
  9. swing — in golf
  10. current — electric
  11. swing — to play on
  12. face — to confront
  13. squash — the sport
  14. face — to point toward
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. current — of water
  17. cue — a hint
  18. date — the fruit
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. face — part of the head
  21. bear — the animal
  22. cue — a signal
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. current — happening now

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