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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 120 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: club · current · bound · bay · pit · pitcher · dip · court

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. current — electric
  3. pit — a hole
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. club — for golf
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. current — happening now
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. current — of water
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bound — tied together
  18. dip — to sink
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. club — a group
  21. court — of a king
  22. bound — certain
  23. court — of law
  24. court — for sport

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