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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. cell — a phone
  3. current — of water
  4. roll — a cake
  5. cell — in biology
  6. firm — a company
  7. court — for sport
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. roll — a list
  10. court — of a king
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stock — shares
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. shower — rain
  15. firm — steady
  16. court — of law
  17. current — happening now
  18. shower — to wash
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. stock — goods
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. current — electric
  24. firm — decided

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