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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: mug · lie · bat · current · fork · court · leaves · prune

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. fork — in a road
  3. mug — to rob
  4. lie — to recline
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. current — happening now
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. bat — the animal
  10. prune — to trim
  11. court — of law
  12. mug — a cup
  13. court — of a king
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. mug — a face
  18. current — of water
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. court — for sport
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. lie — an untruth

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