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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. current — of water
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. court — of a king
  10. court — of law
  11. current — happening now
  12. lean — thin
  13. rush — hurry
  14. board — to get on
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. pop — to visit
  17. board — a committee
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. current — electric
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. pop — soda
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. pop — music
  24. snap — to click

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