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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. season — of the year
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. spring — the season
  5. net — for catching
  6. ball — a dance
  7. net — in sport
  8. cue — a hint
  9. spring — a coil
  10. cue — a signal
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — of water
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. net — after costs
  15. cue — for pool
  16. ball — a great time
  17. spring — of water
  18. object — an aim
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. object — to protest
  21. season — in sport
  22. object — a thing
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. current — electric

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