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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: squash · pitcher · dip · bowl · lean · band · court · current

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. band — a ring
  3. court — for sport
  4. squash — the sport
  5. court — of a king
  6. lean — to bend
  7. court — of law
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. current — happening now
  10. squash — to crush
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. current — electric
  13. lean — thin
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. dip — to sink
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. band — a music group
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. current — of water
  24. dip — a sauce

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