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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. kid — to tease
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bank — of a river
  7. roll — a cake
  8. saw — the tool
  9. current — of water
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. cue — a hint
  12. kid — child
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. current — happening now
  15. roll — a list
  16. cue — a signal
  17. bank — for money
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. cue — for pool
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bank — for money
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. saw — the tool

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