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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: content · fan · rest · current · bound · bore · court · racket

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bound — certain
  4. bore — to drill
  5. court — of law
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. current — of water
  8. court — for sport
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. content — the amount
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. content — happy
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — electric
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. court — of a king
  19. bound — tied together
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bore — to tire
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — a break

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