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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. bank — for money
  3. lean — thin
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bank — of a river
  6. current — electric
  7. current — of water
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — to trim
  10. lean — to bend
  11. chip — to eat
  12. bank — for money
  13. drill — the tool
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. drill — army training
  16. court — of law
  17. chip — for betting
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. drill — a practice
  22. rash — a series
  23. current — happening now
  24. court — for sport

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