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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: wound · current · bear · spring · roll · net · charge · racket

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. bear — the animal
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. charge — a price
  6. net — in sport
  7. wound — an injury
  8. roll — a list
  9. current — electric
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — of water
  16. net — after costs
  17. wound — an injury
  18. roll — a cake
  19. net — for catching
  20. spring — the season
  21. bear — the animal
  22. charge — in control
  23. spring — a coil
  24. racket — for tennis

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