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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ball · pop · current · pound · cue · present · calf · shower

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. shower — to wash
  4. cue — a signal
  5. cue — for pool
  6. shower — rain
  7. pound — a weight
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. current — electric
  11. cue — a hint
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. present — there
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. present — a gift
  17. ball — a dance
  18. pop — music
  19. ball — a great time
  20. current — of water
  21. pop — soda
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. current — happening now

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