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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pound — a weight
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. rush — hurry
  7. cue — for pool
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. spell — letters
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — a signal
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. current — of water
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — the underground
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. spell — magic
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. spell — a short time
  20. current — happening now
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  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