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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 · net · fork · dip · stock · racket · fall · coach

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. dip — to sink
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. stock — shares
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. stock — goods
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. fork — in a road
  12. current — happening now
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. current — electric
  19. net — for catching
  20. net — in sport
  21. net — after costs
  22. fall — the season
  23. current — of water
  24. racket — a loud noise

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