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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: stand · court · cabinet · current · row · club · bowl · sharp

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. court — of a king
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. court — of law
  8. stand — to bear
  9. sharp — clever
  10. current — electric
  11. club — for dancing
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. current — of water
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. court — for sport
  17. club — for golf
  18. current — happening now
  19. row — to paddle
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. row — a line
  24. club — a group

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