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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 120 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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. hand — help
  4. suit — clothes
  5. current — electric
  6. root — of a word
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. court — of law
  10. court — of a king
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. hand — in cards
  15. court — for sport
  16. root — of a plant
  17. current — happening now
  18. current — of water
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. mug — a face
  21. suit — to fit
  22. root — the cause
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mug — a cup

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