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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. perch — the fish
  6. spell — a short time
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — of water
  9. court — of a king
  10. squash — to crush
  11. spell — magic
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. kid — child
  14. kid — to tease
  15. track — a path
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. wake — a trail
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. current — electric
  20. spell — letters
  21. court — for sport
  22. squash — the sport
  23. track — a song
  24. track — to keep track

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