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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 120 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: arm · current · bound · court · cue · scale · net · bowl

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. cue — a signal
  7. bound — obliged
  8. current — electric
  9. net — after costs
  10. bound — certain
  11. current — happening now
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. scale — size or range
  14. net — for catching
  15. net — in sport
  16. court — of law
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bound — tied together
  19. court — for sport
  20. cue — for pool
  21. court — of a king
  22. scale — in music
  23. current — of water
  24. scale — for weighing

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