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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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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 · row · cell · stick · pit · mouse · current · mark

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. court — of a king
  5. cell — a phone
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. current — happening now
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. row — a line
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pit — a hole
  14. mark — a grade
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. current — of water
  20. court — of law
  21. pit — in a race
  22. current — electric
  23. court — for sport
  24. cell — in biology

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