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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: ground · can · wave · current · bark · pass · court · prune

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. current — of water
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. bark — to shout
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. court — of a king
  10. pass — a permit
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. can — to be able to
  13. ground — crushed
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. can — a tin
  18. current — happening now
  19. court — of law
  20. prune — to trim
  21. can — a tin
  22. ground — the earth
  23. ground — a position
  24. court — for sport

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