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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. chip — for betting
  3. pass — a permit
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. spell — a short time
  6. current — happening now
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. root — the cause
  9. current — electric
  10. bear — the animal
  11. current — of water
  12. court — of a king
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bear — the animal
  15. root — of a plant
  16. chip — to eat
  17. root — of a word
  18. spell — letters
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. spell — magic
  21. court — for sport
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. chip — in a computer

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