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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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: chair · sharp · branch · current · court · key · kid · deal

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. current — happening now
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. current — of water
  5. key — for a lock
  6. deal — to handle
  7. key — in music
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. kid — child
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. key — the most important part
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. court — of law
  16. current — electric
  17. court — of a king
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. court — for sport
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. kid — to tease
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. chair — a leader

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