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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. club — a group
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. current — electric
  6. current — of water
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — music
  9. cue — a hint
  10. current — happening now
  11. cue — for pool
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. game — a match
  15. chip — to eat
  16. club — for golf
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chip — for betting
  20. cue — a signal
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. game — wild animals
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. rock — to move gently

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