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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 like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. court — for sport
  3. court — of law
  4. present — the time now
  5. pass — a permit
  6. court — of a king
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. fork — in a road
  10. lean — to bend
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. present — a gift
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. dip — to sink
  16. current — electric
  17. can — a tin
  18. current — happening now
  19. lean — thin
  20. can — a tin
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. can — to be able to
  23. current — of water
  24. present — there

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