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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: bear · cap · court · sharp · saw · cabinet · current · net

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. current — happening now
  3. court — of a king
  4. current — of water
  5. court — of law
  6. saw — the tool
  7. cap — a lid
  8. net — in sport
  9. bear — the animal
  10. cap — a hat
  11. bear — the animal
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cap — of ice
  15. net — for catching
  16. sharp — clever
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. court — for sport
  22. current — electric
  23. net — after costs
  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