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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: calf · current · cabinet · wave · date · court · tube · bound

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. court — for sport
  3. bound — obliged
  4. current — electric
  5. bound — certain
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. court — of a king
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. current — happening now
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. tube — the underground
  16. bound — tied together
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — a container
  19. current — of water
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. court — of law
  23. date — the fruit
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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