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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: court · mouse · swing · current · bulb · board · bear · trunk

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. swing — music
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. bear — the animal
  5. board — to get on
  6. current — of water
  7. swing — in golf
  8. current — happening now
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. court — of law
  13. bulb — for light
  14. current — electric
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. court — of a king
  17. swing — to play on
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. court — for sport
  20. bear — the animal
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. bulb — for light
  24. board — a committee

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