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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 116 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'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. squash — the sport
  3. cue — for pool
  4. ball — a great time
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. band — a ring
  7. current — electric
  8. current — of water
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. cue — a signal
  12. track — a song
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. squash — to crush
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. current — happening now
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a dance
  19. chair — a leader
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. band — a music group
  22. track — to keep track
  23. track — a path
  24. leaves — to go away

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