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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 120 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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. mate — a friend
  3. foot — a measure
  4. mate — a partner
  5. current — of water
  6. mate — to breed
  7. craft — a skill
  8. court — for sport
  9. charge — electricity
  10. spring — of water
  11. spring — a coil
  12. court — of law
  13. charge — in control
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — electric
  16. craft — boats
  17. squash — to crush
  18. court — of a king
  19. charge — a price
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. spring — the season
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. squash — the sport

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