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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. pop — soda
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cap — a hat
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. drill — army training
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. cue — a signal
  14. chair — a leader
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. drill — a practice
  17. cue — a hint
  18. current — electric
  19. pop — to visit
  20. current — of water
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. current — happening now
  23. drill — the tool
  24. ruler — for measuring

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