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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.

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: ball · current · mug · spring · present · net · cell · coach

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. spring — a coil
  3. mug — a cup
  4. net — in sport
  5. mug — a face
  6. present — the time now
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. ball — a dance
  9. cell — a phone
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. current — of water
  13. present — there
  14. current — electric
  15. mug — to rob
  16. spring — the season
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cell — in biology
  19. net — for catching
  20. spring — of water
  21. net — after costs
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. present — a gift
  24. ball — a great time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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