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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. current — of water
  3. cue — a hint
  4. net — after costs
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. current — happening now
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. net — in sport
  11. staff — employees
  12. rush — hurry
  13. cue — for pool
  14. staff — a stick
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. staff — employees
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. fork — in a road
  20. net — for catching
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. current — electric

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