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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.

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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: kid · rule · coach · current · firm · bulb · net · row

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. rule — a law
  3. row — a line
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bulb — for light
  6. current — happening now
  7. net — for catching
  8. bulb — for light
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. kid — to tease
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. firm — decided
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. rule — government
  16. kid — child
  17. current — of water
  18. firm — a company
  19. net — in sport
  20. current — electric
  21. net — after costs
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. firm — steady
  24. row — to paddle

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