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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: current · staff · straw · court · snap · saw · wound · racket

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. staff — employees
  5. wound — an injury
  6. current — happening now
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. current — of water
  9. court — of a king
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. court — for sport
  14. snap — to click
  15. wound — an injury
  16. staff — employees
  17. current — electric
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. saw — the tool
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. staff — a stick
  22. court — of law
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. saw — the tool

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