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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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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. current — electric
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. court — for sport
  5. drill — a practice
  6. court — of law
  7. current — of water
  8. cell — in biology
  9. drill — army training
  10. court — of a king
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. drill — the tool
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. mate — a friend
  18. ball — a great time
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mate — to breed
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. current — happening now
  23. ball — a dance
  24. toast — bread

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