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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. current — electric
  3. current — happening now
  4. content — happy
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. court — of law
  7. lean — to bend
  8. court — of a king
  9. current — of water
  10. mate — a friend
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. court — for sport
  13. cue — a hint
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. mate — to breed
  16. vault — a safe
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. lean — thin
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. content — the amount
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. mate — a partner
  24. cue — for pool

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