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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: stick · present · current · ball · bore · court · snap · bank

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. current — electric
  4. present — a gift
  5. ball — a dance
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. current — happening now
  9. bank — for money
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. court — of a king
  12. snap — to click
  13. bore — to tire
  14. ball — a great time
  15. court — for sport
  16. court — of law
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. bank — for money
  21. present — the time now
  22. bank — of a river
  23. present — there
  24. bore — to drill

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