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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. court — of law
  5. cap — a lid
  6. court — of a king
  7. ball — a great time
  8. chip — to eat
  9. current — of water
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. court — for sport
  12. ground — crushed
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. ball — a dance
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. toast — bread
  18. current — happening now
  19. current — electric
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cap — of ice
  22. chip — for betting
  23. ground — a position
  24. ground — the earth

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