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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. mark — a grade
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. court — for sport
  6. current — of water
  7. mark — a trace
  8. current — happening now
  9. court — of law
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. cue — for pool
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. court — of a king
  14. mate — a friend
  15. cell — a phone
  16. dip — to sink
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. mate — a partner
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. cue — a hint
  21. current — electric
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. mate — to breed
  24. cell — in biology

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