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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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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: ball · wound · cap · trunk · net · current · saw · cue

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. net — in sport
  3. current — of water
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. cue — a signal
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. wound — an injury
  8. saw — the tool
  9. current — happening now
  10. net — for catching
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. cap — a lid
  14. cue — for pool
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. cue — a hint
  17. net — after costs
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. saw — the tool
  20. cap — of ice
  21. wound — an injury
  22. ball — a great time
  23. cap — a hat
  24. current — electric

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