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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 120 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: net · trunk · current · arm · mouse · capital · club · court

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  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. current — happening now
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. club — for golf
  4. capital — a city
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. net — in sport
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. capital — money
  11. current — electric
  12. court — of law
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. club — for dancing
  15. court — of a king
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — for catching
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. court — for sport
  21. club — a group
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. arm — part of the body
  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