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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: net · foot · staff · current · wind · mug · game · ruler

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. mug — a cup
  3. current — of water
  4. net — after costs
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. current — electric
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. net — in sport
  10. staff — employees
  11. wind — moving air
  12. mug — a face
  13. wind — moving air
  14. mug — to rob
  15. staff — employees
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. net — for catching
  18. current — happening now
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. foot — a measure
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. game — a match
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. game — wild animals

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