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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. scale — in music
  5. hand — in cards
  6. court — of a king
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. prune — to trim
  11. court — of law
  12. suit — clothes
  13. board — to get on
  14. scale — size or range
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. board — a committee
  17. prune — to trim
  18. suit — to fit
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — of water
  21. court — for sport
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. current — electric
  24. hand — help

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