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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. court — for sport
  4. hand — help
  5. shower — rain
  6. current — happening now
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. hand — in cards
  9. court — of law
  10. chip — to eat
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. court — of a king
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. current — electric
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — to grow
  21. rock — music
  22. shower — to wash
  23. current — of water
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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