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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. charge — a price
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. suit — to fit
  6. current — of water
  7. rock — music
  8. suit — in cards
  9. prune — to trim
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. charge — in control
  12. current — electric
  13. court — for sport
  14. charge — electricity
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. court — of law
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. current — happening now
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — a stone
  23. prune — to trim
  24. suit — clothes

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