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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. court — of law
  4. kid — child
  5. snap — to click
  6. season — in sport
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. pop — music
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. current — of water
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. court — for sport
  14. object — a thing
  15. season — of the year
  16. kid — to tease
  17. current — happening now
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. current — electric
  20. object — to protest
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. court — of a king
  23. pop — to visit
  24. object — an aim

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