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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cue — a hint
  3. firm — a company
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. lean — to bend
  6. current — of water
  7. lean — thin
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a dance
  10. cold — an illness
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cell — in biology
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. ball — a great time
  15. current — electric
  16. cold — not warm
  17. bear — the animal
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. bear — the animal
  20. cue — a signal
  21. firm — steady
  22. current — happening now
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. firm — decided

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