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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. pound — a weight
  3. net — for catching
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. fall — the season
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. rush — hurry
  10. fall — to drop
  11. current — of water
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. lean — to bend
  14. land — a country
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. land — ground
  17. net — in sport
  18. lean — thin
  19. fall — to drop
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. current — happening now
  23. current — electric
  24. net — after costs

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