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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: fall · cue · bore · safe · can · pitcher · ball · current

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cue — a hint
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. bore — to drill
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. ball — a dance
  11. fall — to drop
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — to be able to
  14. current — electric
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — of water
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a great time
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bore — to tire
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. cue — for pool
  23. can — a tin
  24. fall — the season

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