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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 116 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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. court — of law
  3. spring — a coil
  4. bank — for money
  5. spring — the season
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. current — of water
  9. court — for sport
  10. last — final
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. bank — of a river
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — electric
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bank — for money
  20. court — of a king
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. spring — of water
  23. pit — a hole
  24. last — to go on

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