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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  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. current — of water
  2. net — for catching
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. land — ground
  10. squash — the sport
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. net — after costs
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. fine — all right
  15. kid — child
  16. current — electric
  17. squash — to crush
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. kid — to tease
  20. net — in sport
  21. fine — high quality
  22. land — to come down
  23. land — a country
  24. current — happening now

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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