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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 need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. march — the month
  3. court — for sport
  4. march — the month
  5. march — music
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bulb — for light
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. field — farmland
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. court — of law
  13. current — electric
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. bulb — for light
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. field — for sport
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. field — a subject
  22. current — of water
  23. court — of a king
  24. current — happening 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