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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.

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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 · sharp · arm · court · bay · branch · bore · trunk

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. branch — a division
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bore — to tire
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. court — for sport
  13. sharp — clever
  14. current — happening now
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. current — of water
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. current — electric
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. court — of law

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