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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. file — a document
  3. current — happening now
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a signal
  6. court — of a king
  7. craft — boats
  8. cue — a hint
  9. file — a line of people
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. current — of water
  12. wind — moving air
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. file — a tool
  15. court — for sport
  16. scale — size or range
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. craft — a skill
  19. court — of law
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. scale — in music
  22. wax — to grow
  23. wax — in the ear
  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