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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cap — a lid
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. court — of law
  8. bank — for money
  9. date — the fruit
  10. current — electric
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. court — of a king
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. pop — to visit
  16. cap — a hat
  17. court — for sport
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. pop — soda
  20. pop — music
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. current — happening now
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — of a river

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