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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: net · prune · bear · current · shower · hide · cue · pitcher

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. current — of water
  4. net — for catching
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. cue — a hint
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. current — electric
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bear — the animal
  11. current — happening now
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. net — in sport
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. shower — to wash
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. net — after costs
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. prune — to trim
  21. shower — rain
  22. bear — the animal
  23. cue — a signal
  24. cue — for pool

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