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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. stock — goods
  4. court — for sport
  5. court — of a king
  6. rock — a stone
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. court — of law
  9. prune — to trim
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — a stick
  13. ball — a dance
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. rock — music
  17. stock — shares
  18. sharp — clever
  19. prune — to trim
  20. staff — employees
  21. current — electric
  22. current — happening now
  23. ball — a great time
  24. prune — the fruit

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