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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. bat — the animal
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. current — electric
  5. cue — for pool
  6. mug — a cup
  7. current — of water
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. cue — a hint
  15. mug — a face
  16. tube — a container
  17. current — happening now
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. mug — to rob
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. tube — the underground

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