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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. court — of law
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. prune — to trim
  6. track — a song
  7. current — electric
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. court — of a king
  11. track — to keep track
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. current — of water
  18. track — a path
  19. fine — all right
  20. court — for sport
  21. fine — high quality
  22. current — happening now
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. prune — the fruit

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