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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. court — of law
  3. pound — a weight
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. court — for sport
  6. lie — to recline
  7. court — of a king
  8. march — the month
  9. current — happening now
  10. march — music
  11. mine — for digging
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. current — electric
  15. current — of water
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — to come from
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. march — the month
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. mine — an explosive

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