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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rash — a series
  4. prune — to trim
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mug — to rob
  7. prune — to trim
  8. mug — a face
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. mug — a cup
  13. current — happening now
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. object — a thing
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. court — of law
  18. object — an aim
  19. current — electric
  20. court — for sport
  21. object — to protest
  22. current — of water
  23. rash — hasty
  24. nail — on a finger

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