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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. court — of a king
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. rock — music
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. current — happening now
  7. pop — music
  8. rock — a stone
  9. pop — to visit
  10. present — the time now
  11. court — for sport
  12. fork — in a road
  13. current — of water
  14. hand — in cards
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. current — electric
  18. present — a gift
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. present — there
  21. pass — a permit
  22. hand — help
  23. pop — soda
  24. pass — to succeed

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