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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. band — a ring
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. current — of water
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. clip — for paper
  13. current — electric
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — for sport
  16. clip — to cut
  17. band — a music group
  18. foot — a measure
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. court — of law
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. clip — a video
  23. pass — a permit
  24. game — a match

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