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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: nail · current · court · pop · key · club · game · dip

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. pop — to visit
  3. current — of water
  4. court — of a king
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. pop — music
  7. club — for golf
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. court — of law
  10. current — happening now
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. key — the most important part
  14. club — for dancing
  15. club — a group
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. pop — soda
  18. game — a match
  19. court — for sport
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — in music
  23. dip — to sink
  24. current — electric

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