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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rash · net · arm · pitcher · current · content · vault · row

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. content — happy
  3. net — in sport
  4. row — to paddle
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. current — electric
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. rash — a series
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. vault — a safe
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. net — after costs
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. content — the amount
  20. rash — hasty
  21. row — a line
  22. current — of water
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. current — happening now

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