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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: pitcher · mate · row · current · prune · court · net · bowl

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. net — for catching
  4. prune — to trim
  5. current — of water
  6. row — to paddle
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. mate — a friend
  9. prune — to trim
  10. row — a line
  11. court — of a king
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. net — after costs
  16. mate — a partner
  17. current — happening now
  18. court — for sport
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. mate — to breed
  21. court — of law
  22. current — electric
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. pitcher — a jug

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