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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. current — happening now
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. current — electric
  5. current — of water
  6. bear — the animal
  7. court — for sport
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. court — of a king
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bear — the animal
  17. kid — child
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. bat — the animal
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. court — of law
  24. pound — a weight

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