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

Word bank: dip · current · rule · court · fall · perch · pit · content

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. content — the amount
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. rule — government
  9. current — happening now
  10. content — happy
  11. current — electric
  12. pit — in a race
  13. fall — to drop
  14. current — of water
  15. court — of law
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. pit — a hole
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. perch — the fish
  20. court — for sport
  21. rule — a law
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. dip — to sink

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