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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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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: sharp · field · cue · cold · rock · current · mouse · safe

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. cold — not warm
  5. current — electric
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. rock — music
  8. current — of water
  9. cue — a signal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. field — for sport
  15. field — farmland
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. cold — an illness
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cue — for pool
  20. current — happening now
  21. sharp — clever
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. field — a subject
  24. safe — out of danger

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