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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. current — happening now
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. swing — in golf
  5. swing — to play on
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. swing — music
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. court — of law
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. ball — a dance
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. court — for sport
  15. kick — in football
  16. ball — a great time
  17. last — finally
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. last — to go on
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. last — final
  23. current — of water
  24. current — electric

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