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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pit · court · bound · cell · current · lash · pitcher · drill

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. pit — in a race
  3. bound — obliged
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. drill — army training
  6. current — electric
  7. court — for sport
  8. current — of water
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pit — a hole
  12. drill — a practice
  13. current — happening now
  14. drill — the tool
  15. court — of law
  16. bound — certain
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. court — of a king
  20. cell — a phone
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. bound — tied together
  23. cell — in biology
  24. pitcher — a jug

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