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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: fine · current · calf · tear · net · land · ball · rock

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. net — after costs
  3. current — electric
  4. tear — from crying
  5. fine — all right
  6. rock — a stone
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. ball — a great time
  10. current — happening now
  11. tear — to rip
  12. rock — music
  13. land — a country
  14. tear — from crying
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. net — in sport
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. land — to come down
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. fine — high quality
  21. net — for catching
  22. current — of water
  23. land — ground
  24. fine — a penalty

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