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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. dip — to sink
  3. current — electric
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. current — happening now
  7. foot — a measure
  8. rule — a law
  9. chip — for betting
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. field — for sport
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. rule — government
  16. field — a subject
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. cue — for pool
  19. rock — music
  20. chip — to eat
  21. field — farmland
  22. cue — a signal
  23. current — of water
  24. foot — part of the body

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