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

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bank — for money
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. current — electric
  7. court — of a king
  8. bank — of a river
  9. clip — for paper
  10. clip — to cut
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. current — happening now
  13. bank — for money
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. present — there
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. current — of water
  18. lie — to recline
  19. clip — a video
  20. present — a gift
  21. present — the time now
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. court — of law
  24. racket — a loud noise

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