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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: can · saw · court · sharp · patient · leaves · tear · current

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. saw — the tool
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. current — electric
  7. court — for sport
  8. saw — the tool
  9. current — happening now
  10. can — to be able to
  11. can — a tin
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. sharp — clever
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. tear — from crying
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. can — a tin
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. tear — to rip
  21. tear — from crying
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. court — of a king
  24. current — of water

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