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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 · season · current · board · row · degree · court · rush

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. court — of law
  3. board — a committee
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. row — to paddle
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. current — electric
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. court — for sport
  10. can — a tin
  11. row — a line
  12. current — of water
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. board — to get on
  15. degree — an amount
  16. season — of the year
  17. season — in sport
  18. degree — temperature
  19. rush — hurry
  20. court — of a king
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. can — a tin
  23. degree — from a university
  24. current — happening now

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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