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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. present — the time now
  3. current — electric
  4. bound — tied together
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. key — in music
  7. mark — a grade
  8. present — there
  9. root — of a word
  10. bound — certain
  11. current — of water
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. present — a gift
  14. court — for sport
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. root — the cause
  17. key — the most important part
  18. key — for a lock
  19. current — happening now
  20. bound — obliged
  21. court — of law
  22. root — of a plant
  23. mark — a trace
  24. straw — dry grass

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