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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — electric
  4. ground — a position
  5. ground — crushed
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bulb — for light
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. court — for sport
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. rest — a break
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. rest — what's left
  18. court — of law
  19. current — of water
  20. toast — bread
  21. bulb — for light
  22. ground — the earth
  23. court — of a king
  24. deal — to handle

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