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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: racket · net · row · current · craft · arm

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — for catching
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. current — of water
  7. current — electric
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. craft — boats
  11. craft — a skill
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. net — after costs
  16. row — to paddle
  17. current — happening now
  18. row — a line

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