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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. mark — a trace
  3. current — happening now
  4. plane — a tool
  5. current — of water
  6. march — music
  7. present — there
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. march — the month
  10. season — of the year
  11. march — the month
  12. court — of a king
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. present — a gift
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. present — the time now
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. mark — a grade
  21. court — of law
  22. current — electric
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. court — for sport

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