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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 120 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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. cue — a hint
  5. current — happening now
  6. object — a thing
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. cue — a signal
  9. current — of water
  10. current — electric
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. key — in music
  13. object — to protest
  14. key — the most important part
  15. track — a path
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. track — to keep track
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. key — for a lock
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. object — an aim
  23. track — a song
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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