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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. current — electric
  3. land — ground
  4. ball — a dance
  5. spell — a short time
  6. press — newspapers
  7. current — happening now
  8. craft — a skill
  9. rock — a stone
  10. land — to come down
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. court — of a king
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. court — for sport
  15. ball — a great time
  16. spell — magic
  17. current — of water
  18. press — a publisher
  19. craft — boats
  20. land — a country
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. rock — music
  23. press — to push
  24. spell — letters

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