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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 116 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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  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. current — happening now
  2. cue — for pool
  3. kick — in football
  4. key — in music
  5. board — to get on
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. cue — a hint
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. drill — the tool
  10. drill — a practice
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. drill — army training
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. board — a committee
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. key — for a lock
  17. current — electric
  18. key — the most important part
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. current — of water
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fork — in a road
  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