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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: tear · staff · court · current · cabinet · season · march · mate

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. season — in sport
  3. staff — employees
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. mate — a friend
  6. tear — from crying
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. season — of the year
  9. current — electric
  10. tear — to rip
  11. mate — to breed
  12. march — the month
  13. court — of law
  14. mate — a partner
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. march — music
  17. staff — a stick
  18. current — happening now
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. staff — employees
  21. court — for sport
  22. tear — from crying
  23. court — of a king
  24. march — the month

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