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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.

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: net · fork · rest · pass · current · pitcher · cue · land

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. land — a country
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. land — ground
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. land — to come down
  7. cue — for pool
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. rest — what's left
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. net — in sport
  12. fork — in a road
  13. cue — a signal
  14. net — after costs
  15. rest — a break
  16. current — of water
  17. net — for catching
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. current — electric
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. current — happening now
  24. rest — what's left

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