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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: firm · current · can · clip · root · mark · court · mouse

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — of water
  3. current — electric
  4. clip — a video
  5. firm — decided
  6. court — for sport
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. root — of a word
  9. court — of law
  10. mark — a trace
  11. root — of a plant
  12. court — of a king
  13. clip — for paper
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. firm — a company
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. clip — to cut
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. firm — steady
  23. root — the cause
  24. can — to be able to

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