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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 116 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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  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. current — electric
  2. cell — a phone
  3. pop — soda
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. content — happy
  7. cell — in biology
  8. current — of water
  9. pop — music
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. mark — a grade
  12. scale — size or range
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. current — happening now
  16. pop — to visit
  17. mark — a trace
  18. content — the amount
  19. scale — in music
  20. court — of a king
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. court — for sport
  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