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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. squash — the sport
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. squash — to crush
  7. current — happening now
  8. court — of law
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bore — to tire
  17. current — of water
  18. court — of a king
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. court — for sport
  24. racket — a loud noise

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