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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. spell — letters
  3. court — of law
  4. spell — a short time
  5. current — of water
  6. track — a path
  7. land — ground
  8. spell — magic
  9. track — to keep track
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. court — for sport
  12. land — to come down
  13. suit — to fit
  14. current — electric
  15. key — in music
  16. suit — in cards
  17. key — the most important part
  18. court — of a king
  19. key — for a lock
  20. current — happening now
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. land — a country
  23. track — a song
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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