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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. court — of a king
  5. fine — all right
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. current — electric
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. saw — the tool
  12. court — of law
  13. pop — music
  14. deal — to handle
  15. dip — to sink
  16. current — of water
  17. saw — the tool
  18. current — happening now
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pop — soda
  22. stand — to bear
  23. dip — a sauce
  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