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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 120 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
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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: net · object · drill · tear · current · arm · field · kick

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. net — for catching
  4. tear — from crying
  5. field — a subject
  6. object — an aim
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. field — farmland
  9. drill — a practice
  10. net — in sport
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. tear — to rip
  13. drill — the tool
  14. field — for sport
  15. current — electric
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. current — happening now
  18. drill — army training
  19. object — a thing
  20. tear — from crying
  21. object — to protest
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. net — after costs
  24. kick — in football

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