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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 120 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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. pit — in a race
  3. land — to come down
  4. staff — employees
  5. land — ground
  6. current — of water
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. current — electric
  14. staff — a stick
  15. cue — a hint
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. staff — employees
  18. cue — for pool
  19. pit — a hole
  20. wind — moving air
  21. prune — to trim
  22. cue — a signal
  23. wind — moving air
  24. land — a country

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