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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 120 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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. current — of water
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. court — for sport
  5. capital — a city
  6. current — happening now
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. capital — money
  10. object — an aim
  11. spring — of water
  12. can — a tin
  13. spring — a coil
  14. object — to protest
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. court — of law
  17. can — a tin
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. spring — the season
  21. object — a thing
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. can — to be able to
  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