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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: straw · nail · charge · court · current · cue · scale · race

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. charge — a price
  4. current — of water
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. charge — in control
  8. scale — size or range
  9. current — electric
  10. court — for sport
  11. race — the arms race
  12. cue — for pool
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. cue — a signal
  15. race — humankind
  16. race — a contest
  17. cue — a hint
  18. current — happening now
  19. court — of a king
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. charge — electricity
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. scale — 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