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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: ball · drill · current · cue · chest · jam · ruler · safe

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. drill — the tool
  5. chest — a box
  6. cue — a hint
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. chest — of your body
  10. ball — a dance
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. current — happening now
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. current — of water
  18. ball — a great time
  19. chest — of your body
  20. cue — a signal
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. cue — for pool
  23. drill — a practice
  24. drill — army training

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