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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. court — of a king
  4. current — of water
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. court — of law
  8. mug — a face
  9. fork — in a road
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — a box
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. mug — a cup
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — hurry
  17. game — a match
  18. chest — of your body
  19. mug — to rob
  20. court — for sport
  21. game — wild animals
  22. current — electric
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. current — happening now

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