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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. kick — in football
  4. court — of a king
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. stand — to bear
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. march — music
  9. club — for dancing
  10. fork — in a road
  11. current — happening now
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. court — for sport
  15. current — electric
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. march — the month
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. court — of law
  21. march — the month
  22. club — for golf
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. club — a group

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