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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: present · fan · current · court · wake · racket · row · net

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. present — a gift
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. present — there
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. present — the time now
  7. current — of water
  8. current — happening now
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. row — to paddle
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. current — electric
  14. wake — a trail
  15. net — in sport
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. net — for catching
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. row — a line
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. net — after costs
  22. court — for sport
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. court — of a king

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