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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. current — happening now
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cue — a hint
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. spring — a coil
  9. ball — a dance
  10. current — of water
  11. last — to go on
  12. chair — a leader
  13. ball — a great time
  14. shower — to wash
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. last — final
  17. shower — rain
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. last — finally
  20. current — electric
  21. spring — of water
  22. cue — a signal
  23. spring — the season
  24. mouse — for a computer

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