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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: nail · mark · current · club · bowl · leaves · squash · court

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. court — for sport
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. court — of law
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. club — a group
  8. club — for golf
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. current — of water
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. current — happening now
  13. club — for dancing
  14. court — of a king
  15. mark — a grade
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. squash — to crush
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. mark — a trace
  24. current — electric

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