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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: cabinet · current · wound · chip · sharp · pass · fan · court

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. current — of water
  7. wound — an injury
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. court — of law
  11. court — for sport
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. sharp — clever
  14. current — happening now
  15. chip — to eat
  16. chip — for betting
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. wound — an injury
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pass — a permit
  21. current — electric
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. sharp — exactly

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