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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. bear — the animal
  4. cue — a hint
  5. current — happening now
  6. bear — the animal
  7. file — a tool
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. capital — money
  13. current — of water
  14. current — electric
  15. ball — a dance
  16. file — a document
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cue — a signal
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. capital — a city
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. ball — a great time

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