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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. current — happening now
  3. fall — to drop
  4. current — of water
  5. fine — all right
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. shower — rain
  8. date — the fruit
  9. fall — the season
  10. shower — to wash
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. court — of a king
  13. pit — in a race
  14. court — of law
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pit — a hole
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fine — high quality
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. fall — to drop
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. court — for sport

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