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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: cue · tube · bat · current · object · saw · swing · row

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. cue — a hint
  3. swing — to play on
  4. current — electric
  5. object — a thing
  6. swing — music
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. saw — the tool
  9. row — to paddle
  10. tube — the underground
  11. bat — the animal
  12. swing — in golf
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a signal
  15. object — to protest
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. object — an aim
  19. current — happening now
  20. tube — a container
  21. row — a line
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. current — of water
  24. tube — in a tire

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