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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. court — of law
  3. current — of water
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. rest — what's left
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. rest — what's left
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. current — happening now
  10. field — farmland
  11. field — for sport
  12. current — electric
  13. field — a subject
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. dip — to sink
  16. rest — a break
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. court — for sport
  19. roll — a cake
  20. court — of a king
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. roll — a list
  24. rush — hurry

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