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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 · pop · net · row · bear · cue · court · temple

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. row — to paddle
  3. current — electric
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cue — for pool
  6. current — of water
  7. current — happening now
  8. net — after costs
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. pop — soda
  11. net — in sport
  12. bear — the animal
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. row — a line
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. court — for sport
  17. court — of a king
  18. court — of law
  19. cue — a signal
  20. net — for catching
  21. pop — music
  22. pop — to visit
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bear — the animal

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