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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. current — happening now
  3. kid — child
  4. kid — to tease
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. court — for sport
  7. rock — music
  8. tube — the underground
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. current — of water
  13. current — electric
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. court — of law
  16. rock — a stone
  17. game — a match
  18. tube — a container
  19. game — wild animals
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. can — a tin
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. tube — in a tire

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