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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: object · court · current · bat · leaves · cue · bound · dip

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. court — of a king
  3. dip — to sink
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. object — to protest
  6. court — for sport
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. current — electric
  9. bound — obliged
  10. current — of water
  11. object — an aim
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. cue — a signal
  15. court — of law
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. bat — the animal
  18. cue — for pool
  19. current — happening now
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. object — a thing
  23. bound — certain
  24. cue — a hint

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