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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: temple · sharp · current · cue · craft · club · kick · shower

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. cue — a signal
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. craft — boats
  5. cue — for pool
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. kick — in football
  8. club — for golf
  9. shower — to wash
  10. club — for dancing
  11. sharp — clever
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. cue — a hint
  16. club — a group
  17. current — of water
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. shower — rain
  20. craft — a skill
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. current — happening now
  24. sharp — exactly

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