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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. court — for sport
  5. stock — shares
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. game — a match
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. stock — goods
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. court — of a king
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. fork — in a road
  17. current — electric
  18. game — wild animals
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. current — happening now
  22. current — of water
  23. court — of law
  24. stock — a soup base

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