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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. club — for dancing
  3. ball — a dance
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — of water
  8. squash — to crush
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. wound — an injury
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. club — for golf
  13. wound — an injury
  14. cue — a hint
  15. club — a group
  16. ball — a great time
  17. cue — a signal
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. cue — for pool
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. squash — the sport
  24. fan — a supporter

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