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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. current — electric
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. land — to come down
  5. swing — music
  6. cue — a signal
  7. land — ground
  8. hand — in cards
  9. cue — a hint
  10. swing — to play on
  11. pop — soda
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. cue — for pool
  14. hand — help
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. land — a country
  17. current — happening now
  18. current — of water
  19. swing — in golf
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pop — music
  24. pop — to visit

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