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

Word bank: cue · rock · plane · bear · current · kid · pound · arm

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. rock — music
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. current — of water
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a signal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — a stone
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. current — electric
  15. current — happening now
  16. kid — to tease
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. bear — the animal
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. kid — child
  21. cue — a hint
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. pound — a weight
  24. plane — a tool

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