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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: cap · fan · cue · snap · board · rush · court · current

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cap — a hat
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — hurry
  8. board — to get on
  9. cue — for pool
  10. board — a committee
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. court — of a king
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. current — happening now
  15. cue — a hint
  16. current — electric
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. cue — a signal
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. current — of water
  21. court — of law
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. snap — to click
  24. cap — of ice

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