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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. stand — to bear
  3. current — happening now
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. court — for sport
  6. suit — clothes
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. suit — to fit
  9. wind — moving air
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. court — of law
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. suit — in cards
  19. current — of water
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. current — electric
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. wind — moving air

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