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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bear — the animal
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. current — electric
  8. stand — to bear
  9. bear — the animal
  10. current — happening now
  11. squash — to crush
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. squash — the sport
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. court — of law
  22. current — of water
  23. court — of a king
  24. trunk — of a car

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