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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 116 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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. court — for sport
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. degree — an amount
  5. current — of water
  6. court — of a king
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — happy
  9. wax — to grow
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. court — of law
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. degree — temperature
  14. current — happening now
  15. charge — in control
  16. degree — from a university
  17. charge — a price
  18. charge — electricity
  19. suit — in cards
  20. current — electric
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. suit — to fit
  24. content — videos and posts

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