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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. suit — to fit
  3. court — of a king
  4. court — for sport
  5. rash — hasty
  6. chip — for betting
  7. wound — an injury
  8. last — to go on
  9. current — electric
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. court — of law
  13. bear — the animal
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. chip — to eat
  16. rash — a series
  17. last — final
  18. suit — in cards
  19. current — of water
  20. last — finally
  21. bear — the animal
  22. suit — clothes
  23. wound — an injury
  24. chip — in a computer

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