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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. land — ground
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. court — of a king
  5. current — happening now
  6. file — a line of people
  7. file — a document
  8. court — of law
  9. plane — a tool
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. stock — goods
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. file — a tool
  15. current — of water
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. court — for sport
  18. land — to come down
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. stock — shares
  22. land — a country
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. current — electric

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