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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 116 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: net · field · current · court · mark · wax · ball · spring

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. field — a subject
  3. current — happening now
  4. spring — a coil
  5. current — of water
  6. field — farmland
  7. spring — the season
  8. net — for catching
  9. spring — of water
  10. field — for sport
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. court — for sport
  13. court — of law
  14. court — of a king
  15. current — electric
  16. net — after costs
  17. ball — a dance
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. mark — a grade
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. ball — a great time
  23. mark — a trace
  24. wax — to grow

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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