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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: hand · rule · sharp · foot · court · object · nail · current

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. current — happening now
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. object — to protest
  9. court — of law
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. hand — help
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. current — electric
  14. court — for sport
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. object — a thing
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. court — of a king
  19. rule — government
  20. object — an aim
  21. sharp — clever
  22. hand — in cards
  23. rule — a law
  24. foot — a measure

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