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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: season · roll · current · staff · rush · tube · rest · court

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. roll — a cake
  3. current — of water
  4. court — of law
  5. season — in sport
  6. tube — the underground
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. staff — employees
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — what's left
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. current — electric
  13. roll — a list
  14. current — happening now
  15. rush — hurry
  16. court — for sport
  17. tube — a container
  18. staff — employees
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. staff — a stick
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. rest — a break
  23. season — of the year
  24. court — of a king

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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