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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. current — electric
  3. pop — soda
  4. deal — to handle
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pop — music
  7. spell — letters
  8. cue — for pool
  9. bound — tied together
  10. spell — magic
  11. cue — a signal
  12. bound — obliged
  13. current — of water
  14. pitch — completely
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. bound — certain
  18. rash — a series
  19. spell — a short time
  20. cue — a hint
  21. current — happening now
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. rash — on the skin

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