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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: straw · pass · court · stand · bowl · current · kick · jam

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. court — of law
  6. pass — a permit
  7. current — of water
  8. stand — to bear
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. kick — in football
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. current — happening now
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. court — for sport
  21. court — of a king
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. bowl — a dish

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