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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. current — happening now
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. ground — a position
  5. ground — the earth
  6. pop — soda
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. charge — in control
  9. march — music
  10. court — of a king
  11. spell — magic
  12. march — the month
  13. spell — letters
  14. march — the month
  15. spell — a short time
  16. charge — a price
  17. ground — crushed
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. current — electric
  20. charge — electricity
  21. current — of water
  22. court — of law
  23. pop — to visit
  24. court — for sport

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