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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 120 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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. shower — rain
  3. cue — for pool
  4. current — electric
  5. spring — of water
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. field — farmland
  9. cue — a signal
  10. shower — to wash
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. current — happening now
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. spring — a coil
  15. rash — a series
  16. rash — hasty
  17. field — a subject
  18. field — for sport
  19. cue — a hint
  20. track — to keep track
  21. current — of water
  22. track — a song
  23. spring — the season
  24. track — a path

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