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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: current · root · lie · court · kid · key · fork · fan

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. kid — child
  3. court — of law
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. fork — in a road
  7. key — the most important part
  8. root — of a plant
  9. current — happening now
  10. court — of a king
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. kid — to tease
  16. root — of a word
  17. current — electric
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. root — the cause
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. key — in music
  22. lie — to recline
  23. current — of water
  24. key — for a lock

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