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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. scale — in music
  3. net — for catching
  4. cue — a hint
  5. tube — a container
  6. tube — the underground
  7. vault — a safe
  8. perch — the fish
  9. cue — a signal
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. current — of water
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. net — in sport
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. net — after costs
  20. current — happening now
  21. cue — for pool
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. scale — size or range

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