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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
468
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: date · current · rock · bark · rest · deal · squash · net

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. net — after costs
  3. current — happening now
  4. rock — music
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. rest — a break
  7. rock — a stone
  8. net — for catching
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. date — the fruit
  13. squash — the sport
  14. squash — to crush
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. bark — to shout
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. deal — to handle
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. rest — what's left
  21. current — of water
  22. current — electric
  23. net — in sport
  24. bark — of a tree

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