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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: court · leaves · safe · ruler · chair · band · rush · current

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. band — a music group
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. current — happening now
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. court — for sport
  9. court — of a king
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. chair — a leader
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. current — electric
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. current — of water
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. band — a ring

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