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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. bulb — for light
  3. court — of a king
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. current — electric
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. fine — high quality
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. current — happening now
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. court — for sport
  14. current — of water
  15. bulb — for light
  16. degree — from a university
  17. degree — temperature
  18. shower — rain
  19. degree — an amount
  20. shower — to wash
  21. drill — the tool
  22. court — of law
  23. fine — all right
  24. drill — army training

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