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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. current — electric
  3. court — of a king
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bat — the animal
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pop — to visit
  9. wind — moving air
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. wind — moving air
  13. staff — employees
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. court — for sport
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. pop — music
  18. staff — employees
  19. current — of water
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. pop — soda
  23. current — happening now
  24. staff — a stick

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