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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: wax · hand · last · fork · court · club · date · current

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. date — the fruit
  3. court — of law
  4. last — finally
  5. fork — in a road
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. club — for dancing
  8. court — of a king
  9. wax — to grow
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. current — electric
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. last — to go on
  16. last — final
  17. hand — help
  18. club — a group
  19. current — happening now
  20. court — for sport
  21. club — for golf
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. current — of water

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