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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. bass — the fish
  3. current — electric
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. current — happening now
  6. bass — low music
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. rule — government
  9. court — of law
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. current — of water
  13. pit — in a race
  14. wound — an injury
  15. row — to paddle
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. court — of a king
  18. wound — an injury
  19. rule — a law
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. court — for sport
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. row — a line
  24. row — a quarrel

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