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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. mug — a cup
  3. court — for sport
  4. pop — soda
  5. mug — a face
  6. current — of water
  7. current — happening now
  8. court — of law
  9. land — ground
  10. cell — a phone
  11. court — of a king
  12. face — to point toward
  13. pop — music
  14. current — electric
  15. cell — in biology
  16. land — a country
  17. pop — to visit
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. face — part of the head
  20. land — to come down
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. mug — to rob
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. face — to confront

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