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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 116 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: cap · mug · current · row · last · court · lie · game

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. game — a match
  4. court — of law
  5. lie — to recline
  6. court — for sport
  7. row — to paddle
  8. row — a line
  9. cap — a hat
  10. game — wild animals
  11. mug — a cup
  12. current — happening now
  13. court — of a king
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. current — of water
  17. last — final
  18. cap — of ice
  19. last — finally
  20. last — to go on
  21. mug — a face
  22. cap — a lid
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. mug — to rob

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