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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
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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: rest · bound · bank · cap · straw · court · board · current

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. current — electric
  4. court — of a king
  5. court — of law
  6. bank — of a river
  7. board — to get on
  8. bank — for money
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. cap — a lid
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bound — obliged
  14. court — for sport
  15. current — of water
  16. cap — of ice
  17. rest — a break
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. board — a committee
  20. current — happening now
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bound — certain
  23. bank — for money
  24. board — a flat piece

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