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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. bore — to drill
  3. current — of water
  4. sharp — clever
  5. wound — an injury
  6. court — of a king
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. wound — an injury
  9. stock — goods
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. object — a thing
  12. object — to protest
  13. swing — to play on
  14. bore — to tire
  15. current — happening now
  16. swing — music
  17. swing — in golf
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. object — an aim
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. stock — shares
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. current — electric
  24. court — for sport

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