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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
468
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: current · court · straw · ball · pass · racket · fine · capital

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  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. court — of a king
  2. pass — a permit
  3. fine — high quality
  4. current — electric
  5. capital — a city
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. court — of law
  11. capital — money
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. ball — a great time
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. ball — a dance
  17. current — happening now
  18. fine — all right
  19. court — for sport
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  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