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

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. fine — all right
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. court — of a king
  6. current — happening now
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. court — for sport
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. clip — to cut
  14. court — of law
  15. clip — a video
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. clip — for paper
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. scale — in music
  21. current — of water
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. fine — high quality
  24. current — electric

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