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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. spell — magic
  4. hand — in cards
  5. can — a tin
  6. court — of a king
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. can — to be able to
  9. current — of water
  10. spell — a short time
  11. court — for sport
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. can — a tin
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. court — of law
  18. current — electric
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pit — a hole
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. spell — letters
  23. hand — help
  24. fan — a supporter

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