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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  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. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. current — of water
  3. current — electric
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. kick — in football
  6. field — for sport
  7. court — of a king
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. current — happening now
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. sharp — clever
  14. court — of law
  15. court — for sport
  16. cue — for pool
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. field — a subject
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. field — farmland
  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