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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: racket · lash · row · rule · field · pop · current · wax

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. row — to paddle
  4. field — farmland
  5. pop — music
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. field — for sport
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. pop — to visit
  12. wax — to grow
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. row — a line
  15. rule — government
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. current — happening now
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. field — a subject
  21. current — of water
  22. rule — a law
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. current — electric

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