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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. current — of water
  4. cue — for pool
  5. court — of law
  6. current — electric
  7. rash — a series
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to bend
  10. bore — to tire
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. tube — a container
  14. current — happening now
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. scale — in music
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. tube — the underground
  19. scale — size or range
  20. court — of a king
  21. rash — hasty
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cue — a signal
  24. bore — to drill

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