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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: board · perch · current · court · club · racket · tear · sharp

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. club — a group
  3. current — happening now
  4. tear — from crying
  5. board — to get on
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. current — electric
  8. tear — to rip
  9. club — for dancing
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. court — for sport
  12. court — of law
  13. court — of a king
  14. club — for golf
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. tear — from crying
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. current — of water
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — the fish
  22. board — a committee
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. racket — for tennis

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