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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. current — happening now
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. current — of water
  5. current — electric
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. wake — a trail
  9. cue — a signal
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. bank — for money
  13. charge — in control
  14. cue — a hint
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — help
  17. bank — for money
  18. charge — a price
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bank — of a river
  23. charge — electricity
  24. racket — a loud noise

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