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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.

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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: can · bark · stand · current · object · court · row · mouse

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  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. stand — on your feet
  3. court — of law
  4. current — electric
  5. current — happening now
  6. object — a thing
  7. court — of a king
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. row — a line
  10. current — of water
  11. court — for sport
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. object — to protest
  15. row — to paddle
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. can — to be able to
  18. stand — to bear
  19. bark — to shout
  20. can — a tin
  21. object — an aim
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. can — a tin
  24. mouse — the animal

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