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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: deal · cue · fine · stem · bat · bound · current · kick

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. deal — to handle
  3. current — happening now
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. current — of water
  7. kick — in football
  8. fine — high quality
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cue — for pool
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. bat — the animal
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. stem — to come from
  20. fine — all right
  21. bound — tied together
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. bound — certain
  24. current — electric

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