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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: pop · mouse · ground · current · net · temple · row · coach

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pop — to visit
  4. row — to paddle
  5. net — in sport
  6. current — happening now
  7. pop — soda
  8. pop — music
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. current — electric
  12. ground — crushed
  13. net — for catching
  14. net — after costs
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. row — a line
  21. ground — a position
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. ground — the earth
  24. mouse — the animal

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