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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. court — for sport
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. can — a tin
  5. current — of water
  6. net — in sport
  7. net — after costs
  8. cue — for pool
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. current — happening now
  11. cue — a hint
  12. court — of a king
  13. net — for catching
  14. can — a tin
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. row — to paddle
  17. cue — a signal
  18. court — of law
  19. row — a line
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. perch — the fish
  23. pass — a permit
  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