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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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. staff — employees
  4. pop — music
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. current — electric
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. cold — not warm
  10. staff — employees
  11. ball — a dance
  12. pop — soda
  13. suit — clothes
  14. staff — a stick
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. cold — an illness
  17. current — of water
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. current — happening now
  20. pound — a weight
  21. ball — a great time
  22. pop — to visit
  23. suit — to fit
  24. suit — in cards

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