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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: current · ground · calf · net · chair · mark · file · kick

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. kick — in football
  4. current — of water
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. file — a tool
  7. chair — a leader
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. ground — a position
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. current — electric
  12. current — happening now
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. mark — a grade
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. mark — a trace
  17. ground — the earth
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — after costs
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. ground — crushed
  22. file — a line of people
  23. file — a document
  24. kick — with a leg

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