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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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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 · bay · rush · race · lash · game · current · net

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. net — in sport
  3. roll — a list
  4. roll — a cake
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. race — the arms race
  7. race — humankind
  8. current — happening now
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — after costs
  11. race — a contest
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. current — of water
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. current — electric
  20. rush — hurry
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. game — a match
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. bay — a horse colour

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