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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. roll — a list
  3. cue — for pool
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pop — music
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. pop — soda
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. current — electric
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cue — a signal
  14. roll — a cake
  15. current — of water
  16. cue — a hint
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. current — happening now
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. plane — a tool
  21. lean — thin
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. lean — to bend
  24. ruler — for measuring

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