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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: perch · band · court · kick · mug · pound · cabinet · current

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. current — happening now
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. perch — the fish
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. current — of water
  7. band — a ring
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. court — of law
  10. mug — to rob
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. kick — in football
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. pound — a weight
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. court — of a king
  18. mug — a face
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. band — a music group
  21. current — electric
  22. mug — a cup
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. court — for sport

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