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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: current · foot · net · chair · cue · row · suit · craft

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. current — of water
  3. suit — in cards
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. suit — clothes
  7. net — in sport
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. suit — to fit
  10. foot — a measure
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. cue — a hint
  13. row — to paddle
  14. net — after costs
  15. chair — a leader
  16. cue — a signal
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. current — electric
  19. craft — a skill
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. current — happening now
  22. cue — for pool
  23. row — a line
  24. net — for catching

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