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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. tear — from crying
  3. current — of water
  4. court — of law
  5. court — for sport
  6. bulb — for light
  7. club — a group
  8. tear — to rip
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. current — happening now
  12. can — to be able to
  13. court — of a king
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. can — a tin
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. perch — the fish
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. current — electric
  21. can — a tin
  22. club — for dancing
  23. bulb — for light
  24. leaves — of a tree

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