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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: season · lie · racket · current · key · sharp · cabinet · court

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. court — of law
  4. season — in sport
  5. key — for a lock
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. lie — to recline
  10. current — of water
  11. key — in music
  12. court — for sport
  13. season — of the year
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. key — the most important part
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. current — happening now
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. current — electric
  23. court — of a king
  24. racket — for tennis

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