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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: land · net · kick · swing · mouse · pitch · suit · current

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. suit — to fit
  4. swing — to play on
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. land — ground
  7. net — in sport
  8. net — after costs
  9. suit — clothes
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. land — a country
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. net — for catching
  15. pitch — completely
  16. kick — in football
  17. current — electric
  18. suit — in cards
  19. swing — in golf
  20. land — to come down
  21. current — of water
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. swing — music
  24. kick — a thrill

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