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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. current — electric
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. press — to push
  7. court — for sport
  8. foot — a measure
  9. rule — government
  10. hand — help
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. press — newspapers
  14. rule — a law
  15. court — of a king
  16. current — of water
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. press — a publisher
  19. pop — soda
  20. current — happening now
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pop — music
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. court — of law

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