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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. pound — a weight
  3. game — a match
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. cue — a signal
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. press — a publisher
  10. current — happening now
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. press — to push
  13. shower — to wash
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. shower — rain
  16. game — wild animals
  17. current — electric
  18. craft — a skill
  19. current — of water
  20. snap — to click
  21. cue — for pool
  22. craft — boats
  23. press — newspapers
  24. pound — for dogs

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