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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. court — of a king
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. bank — for money
  6. current — happening now
  7. mug — a face
  8. net — for catching
  9. net — after costs
  10. net — in sport
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. court — of law
  14. wound — an injury
  15. lean — thin
  16. current — electric
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. bank — for money
  19. wound — an injury
  20. current — of water
  21. mug — a cup
  22. lean — to bend
  23. bank — of a river
  24. mug — to rob

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