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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. court — of a king
  5. current — happening now
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. court — of law
  8. current — of water
  9. bark — to shout
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. rush — hurry
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. march — music
  15. march — the month
  16. file — a line of people
  17. stand — to bear
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. march — the month
  20. file — a document
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. file — a tool
  23. court — for sport
  24. cabinet — ministers

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