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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 120 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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. pit — a hole
  8. perch — the fish
  9. court — of law
  10. current — of water
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. current — happening now
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mark — a grade
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. dip — to sink
  18. court — for sport
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. mark — a trace
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. court — of a king

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