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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. rule — government
  4. current — happening now
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. current — electric
  7. current — of water
  8. bore — to drill
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. court — of law
  12. stock — shares
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. bore — to tire
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. court — of a king
  21. stock — goods
  22. rule — a law
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stem — to come from

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