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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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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 · nail · rash · wave · perch · swing · net · ball

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. swing — to play on
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. net — in sport
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. rash — hasty
  9. current — happening now
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. perch — the fish
  12. ball — a great time
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. swing — music
  17. rash — a series
  18. current — electric
  19. ball — a dance
  20. net — after costs
  21. net — for catching
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. current — of water

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