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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cell — a phone
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. court — of a king
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. court — of law
  8. charge — electricity
  9. cue — a hint
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. tube — a container
  12. current — happening now
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. charge — a price
  15. court — for sport
  16. charge — in control
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. cue — for pool
  20. dip — to sink
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. cell — in biology
  23. current — electric
  24. current — of water

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