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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: roll · net · lie · current · stem · row · pop · deal

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. pop — soda
  3. roll — a cake
  4. row — to paddle
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. deal — to handle
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. pop — to visit
  9. row — a line
  10. roll — a list
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. stem — to come from
  13. pop — music
  14. current — of water
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. net — after costs
  18. current — electric
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. lie — to recline
  21. net — in sport
  22. current — happening now
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. stem — of a plant

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