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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. saw — the tool
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. cue — a signal
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mine — for digging
  10. current — happening now
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. cue — for pool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. cue — a hint
  16. row — a line
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. vault — a safe
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. current — electric
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. current — of water
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. saw — the tool

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