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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. court — of law
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. court — for sport
  5. can — a tin
  6. rest — a break
  7. cap — of ice
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. current — electric
  10. club — for golf
  11. wound — an injury
  12. rest — what's left
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cap — a hat
  16. can — to be able to
  17. toast — bread
  18. rest — what's left
  19. court — of a king
  20. can — a tin
  21. current — of water
  22. wound — an injury
  23. current — happening now
  24. club — for dancing

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