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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. cue — a signal
  3. bass — the fish
  4. cue — for pool
  5. current — electric
  6. field — for sport
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. court — of law
  9. court — for sport
  10. firm — decided
  11. dip — to sink
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. cue — a hint
  14. current — of water
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. court — of a king
  17. field — a subject
  18. firm — steady
  19. bass — low music
  20. current — happening now
  21. deal — to handle
  22. field — farmland
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. firm — a company

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