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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
468
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: stand · court · current · bound · race · toast · net · kick

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. kick — in football
  5. race — the arms race
  6. bound — tied together
  7. court — of law
  8. current — happening now
  9. race — a contest
  10. net — in sport
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. stand — to bear
  13. toast — bread
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. bound — obliged
  16. court — for sport
  17. bound — certain
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. race — humankind
  20. net — for catching
  21. current — electric
  22. court — of a king
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. net — after costs

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