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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rule — government
  6. current — electric
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. court — for sport
  10. prune — to trim
  11. current — happening now
  12. can — a tin
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. can — to be able to
  18. court — of law
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. snap — to click
  21. current — of water
  22. can — a tin
  23. prune — to trim
  24. rule — a law

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