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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. current — happening now
  3. vault — a safe
  4. current — of water
  5. current — electric
  6. season — of the year
  7. rest — what's left
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bat — the animal
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. season — in sport
  17. scale — in music
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. scale — size or range
  20. rest — what's left
  21. court — for sport
  22. rest — a break
  23. court — of a king
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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