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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. branch — a division
  3. club — a group
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. cap — of ice
  6. bat — the animal
  7. suit — in cards
  8. court — for sport
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. suit — clothes
  12. current — of water
  13. current — electric
  14. club — for dancing
  15. cap — a hat
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. cap — a lid
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. club — for golf
  21. current — happening now
  22. suit — to fit
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. court — of law

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