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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. rock — music
  5. court — for sport
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. court — of a king
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. squash — the sport
  11. court — of law
  12. swing — in golf
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — of water
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. branch — a division
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. swing — to play on
  21. swing — music
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. squash — to crush
  24. rock — a stone

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