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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. court — of a king
  4. court — for sport
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. ball — a dance
  7. cap — a hat
  8. season — of the year
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. vault — a safe
  13. cap — a lid
  14. current — electric
  15. season — in sport
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. prune — to trim
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. prune — to trim
  21. current — of water
  22. court — of law
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. cap — of ice

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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