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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 116 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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. bank — for money
  3. court — of a king
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. can — a tin
  6. current — happening now
  7. pop — to visit
  8. content — the amount
  9. court — of law
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. pop — soda
  14. shower — rain
  15. current — of water
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. bank — of a river
  18. content — happy
  19. court — for sport
  20. can — to be able to
  21. pop — music
  22. shower — to wash
  23. bank — for money
  24. can — a tin

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