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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. bulb — for light
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a path
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. row — to paddle
  8. dip — to sink
  9. row — a line
  10. court — of law
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. field — farmland
  15. current — electric
  16. current — of water
  17. current — happening now
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bulb — for light
  20. field — for sport
  21. field — a subject
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. court — of a king
  24. track — a song

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