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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: racket · current · net · pound · scale · rush · fine · foot

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. current — electric
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — hurry
  7. pound — a weight
  8. current — happening now
  9. current — of water
  10. scale — in music
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. net — in sport
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. scale — size or range
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. fine — high quality
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. foot — a measure
  20. net — after costs
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. fine — all right
  23. net — for catching
  24. pound — to hit hard

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