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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. can — a tin
  3. bank — of a river
  4. current — electric
  5. current — of water
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. kid — child
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. bank — for money
  10. court — for sport
  11. kid — to tease
  12. swing — music
  13. track — to keep track
  14. can — a tin
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. bank — for money
  18. swing — in golf
  19. swing — to play on
  20. court — of a king
  21. current — happening now
  22. track — a song
  23. track — a path
  24. can — to be able to

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