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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. mine — for digging
  4. content — the amount
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. content — happy
  7. press — newspapers
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. squash — the sport
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. pitch — completely
  13. current — of water
  14. cue — a hint
  15. current — electric
  16. cue — for pool
  17. current — happening now
  18. press — to push
  19. ball — a great time
  20. squash — to crush
  21. ball — a dance
  22. press — a publisher
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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