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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. court — of a king
  3. board — to get on
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. degree — temperature
  7. court — for sport
  8. can — a tin
  9. prune — to trim
  10. current — happening now
  11. prune — to trim
  12. current — of water
  13. bass — the fish
  14. degree — from a university
  15. court — of law
  16. degree — an amount
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. current — electric
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. can — a tin
  21. bass — low music
  22. can — to be able to
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. board — a committee

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