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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: pit · bowl · squash · game · mug · current · coach · court

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — of water
  3. pit — a hole
  4. court — for sport
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. current — electric
  7. game — a match
  8. squash — to crush
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. squash — the sport
  11. mug — to rob
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. court — of law
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. game — wild animals
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. court — of a king
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. pit — in a race
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mug — a face

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