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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. I'll be taking 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. club — for dancing
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. cue — for pool
  4. game — a match
  5. chest — a box
  6. current — electric
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. chest — of your body
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. tube — a container
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. current — of water
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. chest — of your body
  16. game — wild animals
  17. current — happening now
  18. cue — a signal
  19. club — for golf
  20. club — a group
  21. cue — a hint
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. tube — the underground
  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