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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 116 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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. game — a match
  3. cue — for pool
  4. march — the month
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. march — music
  7. rock — a stone
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. march — the month
  10. rash — a series
  11. cue — a signal
  12. rock — music
  13. game — wild animals
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. kick — in football
  17. prune — to trim
  18. cue — a hint
  19. current — electric
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. current — happening now
  23. current — of water
  24. rock — to move gently

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