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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 116 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: current · fine · court · band · leaves · cue · bound · field

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. current — electric
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. fine — high quality
  6. court — of law
  7. fine — all right
  8. field — farmland
  9. current — happening now
  10. cue — a signal
  11. field — for sport
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. band — a ring
  14. bound — certain
  15. court — for sport
  16. current — of water
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. band — a music group
  19. cue — a hint
  20. field — a subject
  21. court — of a king
  22. bound — tied together
  23. cue — for pool
  24. fine — a penalty

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