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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: spell · pitcher · racket · current · craft · track · rest · net

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. current — of water
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. spell — a short time
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. spell — magic
  8. track — to keep track
  9. net — after costs
  10. rest — what's left
  11. track — a path
  12. track — a song
  13. craft — boats
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. net — for catching
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. current — happening now
  18. craft — a skill
  19. rest — a break
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. spell — letters
  22. net — in sport
  23. rest — what's left
  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