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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. current — happening now
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. drill — a practice
  5. current — electric
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. current — of water
  9. cue — a signal
  10. drill — the tool
  11. drill — army training
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. fork — in a road
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. court — of law
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. court — for sport
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. court — of a king
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. cue — for pool
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. branch — a division

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