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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: stick · court · rest · current · hand · object · craft · press

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. court — of law
  3. hand — in cards
  4. current — electric
  5. court — for sport
  6. press — newspapers
  7. current — happening now
  8. craft — a skill
  9. rest — a break
  10. current — of water
  11. press — a publisher
  12. hand — help
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. craft — boats
  16. court — of a king
  17. object — an aim
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rest — what's left
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. object — to protest
  22. press — to push
  23. object — a thing
  24. rest — what's left

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