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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mug — a cup
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mine — for digging
  7. pop — soda
  8. current — happening now
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rest — what's left
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. rest — a break
  13. pop — to visit
  14. mug — to rob
  15. court — of a king
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. current — electric
  18. pop — music
  19. court — of law
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rest — what's left
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. current — of water
  24. mug — a face

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