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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.

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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: pound · stem · racket · rock · current · rash · net · swing

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. swing — music
  4. stem — to come from
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. rock — music
  7. current — electric
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. swing — in golf
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. net — in sport
  13. current — happening now
  14. swing — to play on
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rock — a stone
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. net — for catching
  19. pound — a weight
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. current — of water
  23. rash — a series
  24. rash — on the skin

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