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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. staff — employees
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. current — of water
  5. object — to protest
  6. court — of law
  7. kid — to tease
  8. current — happening now
  9. date — the fruit
  10. kid — child
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — hurry
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bass — low music
  15. staff — employees
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. court — of a king
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. court — for sport
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. current — electric
  22. object — a thing
  23. object — an aim
  24. bass — the fish

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