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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
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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: foot · current · wind · spring · present · court · suit · content

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. present — the time now
  3. suit — in cards
  4. foot — a measure
  5. current — of water
  6. present — a gift
  7. content — the amount
  8. court — of law
  9. suit — clothes
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. current — happening now
  12. wind — moving air
  13. current — electric
  14. court — of a king
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. content — happy
  17. spring — the season
  18. present — there
  19. suit — to fit
  20. spring — of water
  21. spring — a coil
  22. court — for sport
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. wind — to turn a key

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