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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 120 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: current · squash · pop · bank · court · key · mark · hand

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. squash — the sport
  3. pop — music
  4. squash — to crush
  5. court — for sport
  6. key — the most important part
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. court — of law
  9. bank — for money
  10. current — of water
  11. pop — soda
  12. court — of a king
  13. key — for a lock
  14. hand — in cards
  15. mark — a grade
  16. bank — of a river
  17. hand — help
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. pop — to visit
  20. key — in music
  21. mark — a trace
  22. bank — for money
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. current — electric

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