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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 124 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: stem · snap · lie · mug · racket · track · current · net

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. mug — to rob
  3. stem — to come from
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. mug — a cup
  6. net — after costs
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. track — a path
  9. net — in sport
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. mug — a face
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. net — for catching
  15. snap — to click
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. current — electric
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. track — to keep track
  22. track — a song
  23. current — happening now
  24. current — of water

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