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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: rest · court · can · bank · track · current · racket · spell

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. rest — a break
  3. court — of law
  4. rest — what's left
  5. current — happening now
  6. spell — magic
  7. current — electric
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. bank — of a river
  10. spell — letters
  11. bank — for money
  12. court — for sport
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. spell — a short time
  15. can — a tin
  16. track — a path
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a song
  19. can — a tin
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. court — of a king
  22. bank — for money
  23. current — of water
  24. rest — what's left

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