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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: net · calf · court · pit · scale · rash · coach · current

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. scale — size or range
  4. current — happening now
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. current — electric
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. current — of water
  10. net — for catching
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. court — of a king
  13. pit — a hole
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. court — for sport
  18. rash — a series
  19. court — of law
  20. net — after costs
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pit — in a race
  23. rash — hasty
  24. scale — in music

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