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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: bowl · cue · calf · pit · current · court · leaves · pitcher

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. pit — a hole
  3. current — of water
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. cue — a signal
  8. court — of a king
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. court — of law
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — electric
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. court — for sport
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. cue — a hint
  22. pit — in a race
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. leaves — of a tree

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