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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. cue — a signal
  3. ground — crushed
  4. mark — a trace
  5. last — finally
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. cue — a hint
  8. current — electric
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. board — a committee
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — a break
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — of water
  15. ground — a position
  16. mark — a grade
  17. craft — boats
  18. ground — the earth
  19. cue — for pool
  20. last — to go on
  21. craft — a skill
  22. last — final
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. board — to get on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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