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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: deal · court · field · perch · spell · current · ruler · jam

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. field — for sport
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. current — of water
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. field — farmland
  7. current — happening now
  8. spell — magic
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. perch — the fish
  15. court — of law
  16. spell — letters
  17. current — electric
  18. deal — to handle
  19. field — a subject
  20. spell — a short time
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. court — of a king

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