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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: roll · nail · board · mug · bear · cue · cold · current

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  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. bear — the animal
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. cold — an illness
  4. board — to get on
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cue — a hint
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bear — the animal
  10. roll — a list
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mug — to rob
  13. current — of water
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. mug — a face
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. roll — a cake
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. cold — not warm
  21. current — happening now
  22. current — electric
  23. board — a committee
  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