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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 120 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: bowl · current · track · wave · row · squash · bore · net

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. current — happening now
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. current — electric
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. track — a path
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. net — for catching
  12. squash — the sport
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. row — a line
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bore — to tire
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — in sport
  20. squash — to crush
  21. track — a song
  22. row — to paddle
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. track — to keep track

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