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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: court · mate · squash · club · lie · current · bear · kid

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. current — of water
  3. lie — to recline
  4. bear — the animal
  5. mate — a friend
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. court — of law
  9. current — happening now
  10. bear — the animal
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. mate — a partner
  13. squash — the sport
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — for dancing
  16. mate — to breed
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — to crush
  19. current — electric
  20. club — a group
  21. court — for sport
  22. kid — child
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. kid — to tease

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