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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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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: snap · dip · game · wake · bulb · court · fine · current

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. wake — a trail
  4. fine — high quality
  5. bulb — for light
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. fine — all right
  9. snap — to click
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. game — a match
  12. bulb — for light
  13. game — wild animals
  14. court — of a king
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. court — for sport
  18. court — of law
  19. dip — to sink
  20. current — of water
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. current — happening now
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. dip — a sauce

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