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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 116 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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. object — a thing
  3. court — of a king
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. court — for sport
  7. season — in sport
  8. current — electric
  9. cap — a lid
  10. court — of law
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. kid — child
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. current — of water
  16. kid — to tease
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. current — happening now
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. season — of the year
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cap — of ice
  24. object — to protest

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