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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pass — a permit
  4. court — of a king
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. shower — to wash
  7. wake — a trail
  8. hand — in cards
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. current — happening now
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. court — for sport
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. shower — rain
  15. current — electric
  16. fine — all right
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. can — to be able to
  20. hand — help
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. fine — high quality
  24. current — of water

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