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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. last — final
  3. cue — a signal
  4. mug — to rob
  5. last — finally
  6. mug — a face
  7. bank — for money
  8. cue — for pool
  9. court — of a king
  10. bank — of a river
  11. court — of law
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. current — happening now
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. mug — a cup
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bank — for money
  21. current — of water
  22. cue — a hint
  23. current — electric
  24. last — to go on

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