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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: present · cell · current · key · bank · pop · court · mouse

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. court — of a king
  3. present — a gift
  4. key — for a lock
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bank — for money
  7. current — happening now
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. bank — for money
  10. current — electric
  11. present — the time now
  12. cell — a phone
  13. pop — soda
  14. key — the most important part
  15. court — for sport
  16. cell — in biology
  17. key — in music
  18. pop — music
  19. current — of water
  20. bank — of a river
  21. pop — to visit
  22. court — of law
  23. cell — in a prison
  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