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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 · lie · current · fork · chair · club · mouse · lean

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. lean — thin
  6. court — of a king
  7. lean — to bend
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. current — of water
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. club — for dancing
  16. current — happening now
  17. chair — a leader
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. club — a group
  20. court — for sport
  21. club — for golf
  22. current — electric
  23. court — of law
  24. lie — an untruth

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