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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. current — happening now
  4. current — electric
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. court — for sport
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. charge — electricity
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. wake — a trail
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. charge — in control
  14. court — of law
  15. plane — a tool
  16. charge — a price
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. craft — a skill
  19. current — of water
  20. pound — a weight
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. craft — boats
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. toast — bread

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