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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. suit — to fit
  4. rest — a break
  5. current — of water
  6. object — to protest
  7. court — for sport
  8. bear — the animal
  9. court — of a king
  10. cue — for pool
  11. object — an aim
  12. court — of law
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — a hint
  15. chest — of your body
  16. suit — in cards
  17. chest — of your body
  18. current — electric
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bear — the animal
  21. chest — a box
  22. current — happening now
  23. rest — what's left
  24. object — a thing

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