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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
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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: mark · current · stick · court · chair · bore · saw · craft

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. current — electric
  4. current — happening now
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. court — of a king
  8. craft — boats
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. court — of law
  11. current — of water
  12. saw — the tool
  13. mark — a trace
  14. chair — a leader
  15. craft — a skill
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. court — for sport
  21. mark — a grade
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. saw — the tool

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