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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 · hand · key · ruler · court · snap · branch · stick

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. branch — a division
  4. court — of law
  5. hand — help
  6. court — of a king
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. key — for a lock
  9. current — electric
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. court — for sport
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. current — of water
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. key — the most important part
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. current — happening now
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. snap — to click
  24. key — in music

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