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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: net · ball · current · fall · coach · roll · tube · leaves

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. net — in sport
  3. current — electric
  4. roll — a list
  5. fall — to drop
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. fall — the season
  8. current — happening now
  9. net — after costs
  10. ball — a dance
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. ball — a great time
  14. roll — a cake
  15. fall — to drop
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. current — of water
  18. tube — a container
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. tube — the underground
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. net — for catching
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. ball — a round shape

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