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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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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: kid · court · sharp · track · band · current · rush · calf

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. court — for sport
  3. current — electric
  4. rush — hurry
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. court — of law
  7. court — of a king
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. kid — to tease
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. sharp — clever
  12. band — a music group
  13. kid — child
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. band — a ring
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. current — happening now
  21. track — to keep track
  22. track — a song
  23. track — a path
  24. current — of water

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