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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 120 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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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: current · mouse · swing · race · racket · hide · straw · cue

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. cue — a hint
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. cue — a signal
  8. race — the arms race
  9. swing — music
  10. cue — for pool
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. race — a contest
  17. swing — in golf
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. current — electric
  22. swing — to play on
  23. current — of water
  24. race — humankind

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