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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: game · current · racket · shower · bass · net · calf · chair

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  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. racket — for tennis
  2. game — wild animals
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. game — a match
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bass — the fish
  7. shower — rain
  8. chair — a leader
  9. bass — low music
  10. current — electric
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. net — after costs
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. shower — to wash
  17. net — in sport
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. current — of water
  21. net — for catching
  22. current — happening now
  23. calf — a young animal
  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