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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. current — electric
  3. field — farmland
  4. current — happening now
  5. current — of water
  6. net — in sport
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — to recline
  9. cue — a signal
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. cue — for pool
  12. craft — boats
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. wax — to grow
  16. field — a subject
  17. net — for catching
  18. cue — a hint
  19. field — for sport
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. craft — a skill
  22. net — after costs
  23. rule — government
  24. craft — a handicraft

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