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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.

Make a worksheet

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: fork · rock · mine · chair · current · leaves · object · court

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. object — an aim
  4. court — for sport
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. object — to protest
  7. court — of law
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. fork — in a road
  10. rock — music
  11. current — happening now
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. current — of water
  15. object — a thing
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. rock — a stone
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. mine — for digging
  23. chair — a leader
  24. court — of a king

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