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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.

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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 · key · sharp · cabinet · spell · file · rash · current

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. file — a tool
  4. key — in music
  5. spell — magic
  6. court — of a king
  7. key — the most important part
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. court — for sport
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. file — a document
  12. spell — a short time
  13. file — a line of people
  14. rash — hasty
  15. sharp — clever
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. current — electric
  19. current — happening now
  20. rash — a series
  21. key — for a lock
  22. spell — letters
  23. current — of water
  24. rash — on the skin

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