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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.

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: straw · lie · court · fork · bowl · bass · press · current

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. current — electric
  5. press — to push
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. court — for sport
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. court — of a king
  10. court — of law
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. current — happening now
  14. bass — the fish
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. press — a publisher
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. fork — in a road
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. press — newspapers
  23. bass — low music
  24. lie — to recline

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