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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 116 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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. court — of law
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. game — a match
  6. court — of a king
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. game — wild animals
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. current — electric
  12. current — of water
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. court — for sport
  16. track — a path
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. track — to keep track
  19. plane — a tool
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. track — a song
  22. pit — a hole
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. game — a kind of play

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