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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 120 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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. chip — for betting
  4. court — of a king
  5. suit — clothes
  6. cell — a phone
  7. current — of water
  8. chip — to eat
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. suit — to fit
  12. suit — in cards
  13. prune — to trim
  14. branch — a division
  15. cell — in biology
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. bear — the animal
  18. prune — to trim
  19. current — happening now
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. court — for sport
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. current — electric
  24. bear — the animal

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