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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kid · club · field · last · pit · pop · court · current

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. current — happening now
  3. court — of a king
  4. field — for sport
  5. kid — to tease
  6. last — to go on
  7. court — of law
  8. pop — soda
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pit — in a race
  11. club — for dancing
  12. club — for golf
  13. field — a subject
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. last — final
  16. current — electric
  17. last — finally
  18. pop — music
  19. pit — a hole
  20. court — for sport
  21. field — farmland
  22. kid — child
  23. current — of water
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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