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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. court — of a king
  4. charge — in control
  5. court — of law
  6. current — electric
  7. capital — money
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. charge — a price
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bear — the animal
  14. current — of water
  15. charge — electricity
  16. ball — a great time
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. current — happening now
  20. court — for sport
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bear — the animal
  24. capital — a city

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