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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. present — the time now
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. cue — a hint
  7. current — electric
  8. face — to confront
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. cue — a signal
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. face — part of the head
  14. current — of water
  15. face — to point toward
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. present — a gift
  18. cue — for pool
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. present — there
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. current — happening now
  23. game — wild animals
  24. game — a match

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