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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. current — of water
  3. game — a match
  4. cue — for pool
  5. rock — music
  6. rock — a stone
  7. can — a tin
  8. chip — for betting
  9. game — wild animals
  10. wake — a trail
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. foot — a measure
  14. chip — to eat
  15. can — to be able to
  16. current — happening now
  17. current — electric
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. can — a tin
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. cue — a hint
  24. cue — a signal

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