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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — the tool
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. court — for sport
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. court — of a king
  8. drill — army training
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. current — electric
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. court — of law
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. current — of water
  20. toast — bread
  21. game — wild animals
  22. game — a match
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. current — happening now

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