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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: mark · perch · net · bound · plane · current · wake · court

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. wake — a trail
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mark — a grade
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bound — obliged
  8. current — happening now
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. bound — certain
  11. net — after costs
  12. perch — the fish
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. court — of law
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. court — of a king
  17. bound — tied together
  18. current — of water
  19. plane — a tool
  20. net — for catching
  21. current — electric
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. court — for sport

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