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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. track — to keep track
  3. firm — a company
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. cue — a hint
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. firm — decided
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. court — of law
  12. current — of water
  13. row — a line
  14. court — of a king
  15. track — a path
  16. mark — a grade
  17. current — happening now
  18. track — a song
  19. bear — the animal
  20. firm — steady
  21. cue — a signal
  22. court — for sport
  23. row — to paddle
  24. cue — for pool

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