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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. cue — a signal
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. cue — a hint
  5. current — happening now
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. current — of water
  11. staff — employees
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. cue — for pool
  14. kid — child
  15. race — a contest
  16. race — humankind
  17. staff — a stick
  18. pitch — completely
  19. mine — for digging
  20. kid — to tease
  21. race — the arms race
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. current — electric

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