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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 112 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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. kid — child
  7. cue — a signal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. dip — to sink
  10. current — happening now
  11. kid — to tease
  12. game — a match
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. cue — a hint
  16. current — of water
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. game — wild animals
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bear — the animal
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. cue — for pool

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