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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 120 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mug — a face
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. bound — tied together
  5. court — of law
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. mug — a cup
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. cap — a hat
  10. current — of water
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bound — certain
  14. current — electric
  15. court — for sport
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. sharp — clever
  18. cap — a lid
  19. court — of a king
  20. bound — obliged
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. current — happening now
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. cap — of ice

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