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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. net — in sport
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. fall — to drop
  5. current — electric
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a hint
  8. swing — in golf
  9. fall — to drop
  10. net — for catching
  11. swing — to play on
  12. current — happening now
  13. current — of water
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. swing — music
  16. fall — the season
  17. bound — obliged
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. net — after costs
  20. bound — tied together
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — to trim
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. cue — a signal

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