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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.

Make a worksheet

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: roll · net · face · current · lash · court · racket · kick

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. current — electric
  3. court — of a king
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. net — after costs
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. face — to point toward
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. current — of water
  10. kick — in football
  11. roll — a cake
  12. face — part of the head
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. face — to confront
  17. net — in sport
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. court — of law
  22. current — happening now
  23. court — for sport
  24. roll — a list

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