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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. mug — to rob
  3. tube — the underground
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. deal — to handle
  6. current — electric
  7. board — a committee
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. board — to get on
  10. mug — a face
  11. court — of a king
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. court — for sport
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. current — happening now
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. current — of water
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. mug — a cup
  20. tube — a container
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. stem — to come from
  24. racket — for tennis

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