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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bear · cue · bowl · key · fan · rock · court · current

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. cue — a hint
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. court — for sport
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bear — the animal
  8. key — the most important part
  9. rock — a stone
  10. current — electric
  11. bear — the animal
  12. court — of a king
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. cue — for pool
  15. current — of water
  16. court — of law
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. cue — a signal
  20. key — in music
  21. key — for a lock
  22. rock — music
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. current — happening now

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