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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. cue — a signal
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fork — in a road
  5. land — to come down
  6. cap — of ice
  7. current — happening now
  8. pop — music
  9. toast — bread
  10. cap — a lid
  11. current — of water
  12. land — ground
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. current — electric
  15. sharp — clever
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. land — a country
  20. cue — for pool
  21. cue — a hint
  22. pop — to visit
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. cap — a hat

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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