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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. court — of a king
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. suit — clothes
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. net — for catching
  8. pound — a weight
  9. net — after costs
  10. net — in sport
  11. court — of law
  12. suit — in cards
  13. current — happening now
  14. chest — a box
  15. board — to get on
  16. court — for sport
  17. board — a committee
  18. current — electric
  19. current — of water
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. chest — of your body
  22. scale — in music
  23. suit — to fit
  24. chest — of your body

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