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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: tube · cue · bank · race · court · current · calf · land

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. current — of water
  3. land — a country
  4. cue — for pool
  5. race — humankind
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. land — to come down
  8. cue — a signal
  9. current — electric
  10. land — ground
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — for money
  13. cue — a hint
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. race — a contest
  16. court — of law
  17. court — of a king
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. tube — a container
  20. court — for sport
  21. race — the arms race
  22. bank — of a river
  23. current — happening now
  24. calf — a young animal

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