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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pop — music
  5. file — a document
  6. pop — soda
  7. cue — a hint
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. cue — for pool
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. cue — a signal
  14. current — electric
  15. row — a line
  16. row — to paddle
  17. pound — a weight
  18. file — a tool
  19. file — a line of people
  20. current — happening now
  21. current — of water
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pop — to visit
  24. safe — out of danger

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