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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. court — of a king
  4. court — for sport
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. cue — a signal
  7. band — a music group
  8. current — happening now
  9. suit — to fit
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. perch — the fish
  13. suit — in cards
  14. suit — clothes
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. court — of law
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. cue — a hint
  19. band — a ring
  20. deal — to handle
  21. current — electric
  22. cue — for pool
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. deal — an agreement

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