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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. race — humankind
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. current — happening now
  5. roll — a cake
  6. race — the arms race
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. chest — of your body
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. cue — for pool
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. cue — a signal
  13. chest — a box
  14. roll — a list
  15. pop — to visit
  16. current — of water
  17. pop — music
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. current — electric
  21. deal — to handle
  22. pop — soda
  23. race — a contest
  24. chest — of your body

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