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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. ground — a position
  3. cue — a signal
  4. staff — employees
  5. last — finally
  6. net — after costs
  7. deal — to handle
  8. ground — crushed
  9. current — happening now
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. last — final
  13. staff — a stick
  14. net — for catching
  15. cue — for pool
  16. wake — a trail
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. last — to go on
  20. ground — the earth
  21. current — of water
  22. staff — employees
  23. current — electric
  24. cue — a hint

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