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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. band — a ring
  3. swing — in golf
  4. sharp — clever
  5. current — electric
  6. current — happening now
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. swing — music
  10. swing — to play on
  11. land — to come down
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. current — of water
  14. mug — a face
  15. cue — a signal
  16. land — a country
  17. mug — to rob
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. land — ground
  20. mug — a cup
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. band — a music group
  24. cue — a hint

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