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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. net — for catching
  5. object — a thing
  6. tube — the underground
  7. current — of water
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. current — happening now
  10. net — after costs
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. object — to protest
  13. content — the amount
  14. tube — a container
  15. object — an aim
  16. court — for sport
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. current — electric
  19. band — a music group
  20. net — in sport
  21. court — of law
  22. band — a ring
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. content — happy

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