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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: current · stand · court · racket · pass · rash · kid · tear

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. current — electric
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. current — happening now
  5. current — of water
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. stand — to bear
  8. rash — hasty
  9. tear — from crying
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. court — of law
  12. court — of a king
  13. rash — a series
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. tear — from crying
  17. kid — child
  18. pass — a permit
  19. court — for sport
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. kid — to tease
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. tear — to rip

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