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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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: court · cue · ground · scale · current · cell

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. current — electric
  3. cell — in biology
  4. cue — for pool
  5. court — of a king
  6. cell — a phone
  7. ground — a position
  8. ground — crushed
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. current — happening now
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. court — for sport
  13. cue — a signal
  14. court — of law
  15. ground — the earth
  16. cue — a hint
  17. scale — in music
  18. current — of water

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