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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: mark · bank · court · mate · chair · current · squash · foot

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mate — a friend
  3. bank — of a river
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — for money
  7. mark — a trace
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. current — happening now
  10. mate — to breed
  11. chair — a leader
  12. squash — the sport
  13. current — of water
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. current — electric
  16. mate — a partner
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. court — of law
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. squash — to crush
  21. court — of a king
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. court — for sport
  24. foot — a measure

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