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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. ball — a great time
  3. current — happening now
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pit — in a race
  6. current — electric
  7. current — of water
  8. bound — certain
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. court — of law
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — to visit
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. bound — obliged
  17. court — for sport
  18. pop — music
  19. bound — tied together
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. ball — a dance
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. pit — a hole

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