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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: court · current · trunk · pit · bank · staff · key · sharp

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. current — of water
  5. court — for sport
  6. key — for a lock
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. court — of a king
  9. pit — in a race
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. bank — of a river
  12. key — in music
  13. current — happening now
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pit — a hole
  16. staff — a stick
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — employees
  19. court — of law
  20. current — electric
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bank — for money
  23. key — the most important part
  24. bank — for money

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