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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. scale — in music
  3. squash — to crush
  4. rule — a law
  5. current — happening now
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. mate — a partner
  8. squash — the sport
  9. mate — a friend
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. current — of water
  12. current — electric
  13. mate — to breed
  14. scale — size or range
  15. court — for sport
  16. rule — government
  17. court — of law
  18. scale — for weighing

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