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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. lean — thin
  3. court — of a king
  4. rule — a law
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. court — of law
  9. current — of water
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. court — for sport
  18. lean — to bend
  19. current — happening now
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rule — government
  24. fan — to cool the air

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