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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. court — for sport
  3. firm — steady
  4. firm — a company
  5. tube — the underground
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. bulb — for light
  8. track — a path
  9. tube — a container
  10. court — of a king
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. net — after costs
  15. bulb — for light
  16. current — of water
  17. net — in sport
  18. court — of law
  19. track — a song
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. track — to keep track
  22. firm — decided
  23. net — for catching
  24. current — electric

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