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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. current — electric
  3. current — happening now
  4. tube — the underground
  5. net — after costs
  6. tube — a container
  7. mug — a cup
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. cue — a hint
  12. stand — to bear
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. net — for catching
  16. mug — a face
  17. cue — a signal
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. mug — to rob
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. net — in sport
  22. bat — the animal
  23. cue — for pool
  24. hide — to keep secret

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