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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.

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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: wound · pit · kid · board · craft · court · rule · current

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  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. wound — an injury
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. current — of water
  4. board — a committee
  5. pit — a hole
  6. current — electric
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. court — of law
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. kid — child
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. wound — an injury
  14. court — of a king
  15. rule — a law
  16. pit — in a race
  17. rule — government
  18. craft — boats
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. kid — to tease
  21. board — to get on
  22. court — for sport
  23. craft — a skill
  24. current — happening now

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