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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: race · current · court · season · track · board · calf · cabinet

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. race — humankind
  4. season — in sport
  5. current — of water
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. current — happening now
  10. board — a committee
  11. court — of a king
  12. race — a contest
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. season — of the year
  15. track — a path
  16. track — to keep track
  17. board — to get on
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. track — a song
  20. race — the arms race
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. court — for sport
  24. current — electric

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