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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: current · craft · roll · net · bear · rush · board · tear

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. current — happening now
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. current — of water
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — to rip
  9. roll — a cake
  10. current — electric
  11. board — a committee
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. net — after costs
  14. roll — a list
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. net — in sport
  18. bear — the animal
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. bear — the animal
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. craft — boats
  24. craft — a skill

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