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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 116 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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. present — a gift
  4. face — to confront
  5. cue — a hint
  6. file — a document
  7. cue — a signal
  8. ball — a great time
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mine — for digging
  11. present — there
  12. object — to protest
  13. present — the time now
  14. ball — a dance
  15. cue — for pool
  16. file — a line of people
  17. face — to point toward
  18. object — an aim
  19. current — of water
  20. file — a tool
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. face — part of the head
  23. object — a thing
  24. current — electric

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