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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. court — of a king
  3. track — a song
  4. can — a tin
  5. current — of water
  6. craft — a skill
  7. track — to keep track
  8. face — part of the head
  9. court — for sport
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. present — there
  12. root — the cause
  13. root — of a plant
  14. face — to confront
  15. present — a gift
  16. can — a tin
  17. current — electric
  18. court — of law
  19. track — a path
  20. can — to be able to
  21. root — of a word
  22. face — to point toward
  23. craft — boats
  24. present — the time now

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