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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. court — of a king
  3. current — electric
  4. board — a committee
  5. drill — a practice
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — in sport
  8. court — for sport
  9. current — happening now
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. ground — crushed
  12. deal — to handle
  13. net — for catching
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. board — to get on
  16. ground — the earth
  17. drill — the tool
  18. court — of law
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. drill — army training
  21. current — of water
  22. ground — a position
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — a supporter

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