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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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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: fork · current · content · court · file · safe

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. current — of water
  4. file — a document
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. content — happy
  7. file — a line of people
  8. file — a tool
  9. fork — in a road
  10. current — happening now
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. court — of a king
  13. content — the amount
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. court — for sport
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. current — electric

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