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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 · roll · key · pop · press · mouse · spring · current

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. pop — music
  3. press — newspapers
  4. court — for sport
  5. roll — a list
  6. spring — a coil
  7. court — of a king
  8. press — to push
  9. spring — of water
  10. pop — soda
  11. key — for a lock
  12. current — happening now
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. current — electric
  15. key — the most important part
  16. press — a publisher
  17. court — of law
  18. pop — to visit
  19. key — in music
  20. current — of water
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. roll — a cake
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. spring — the season

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