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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 120 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
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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: current · rash · mug · row · fan · mouse · ball · court

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. ball — a dance
  4. court — of law
  5. rash — hasty
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. court — of a king
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. row — to paddle
  11. mug — to rob
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. current — of water
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — electric
  16. ball — a great time
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. rash — a series
  19. row — a line
  20. mug — a cup
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. mug — a face
  23. court — for sport
  24. mouse — the animal

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