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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. firm — a company
  3. cue — a hint
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. sharp — clever
  6. march — the month
  7. cue — a signal
  8. firm — steady
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. current — happening now
  11. march — music
  12. current — electric
  13. march — the month
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cue — for pool
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. current — of water
  24. firm — decided

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