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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 116 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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. cue — a hint
  3. fall — to drop
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. fall — the season
  6. cue — for pool
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. fall — to drop
  9. saw — the tool
  10. content — happy
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. current — happening now
  14. bat — the animal
  15. current — of water
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. content — the amount
  19. scale — in music
  20. scale — size or range
  21. cue — a signal
  22. current — electric
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. scale — for weighing

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