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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. fork — in a road
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. current — happening now
  5. roll — a list
  6. file — a tool
  7. cue — a signal
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. current — electric
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. file — a line of people
  14. scale — size or range
  15. present — there
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cue — for pool
  18. present — a gift
  19. present — the time now
  20. current — of water
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. scale — in music
  23. file — a document
  24. roll — a cake

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