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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. ball — a great time
  3. band — a ring
  4. rush — hurry
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. roll — a cake
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. current — of water
  13. ball — a dance
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. cue — a hint
  16. roll — a list
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. cue — for pool
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. current — happening now
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. current — electric
  24. cue — a signal

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