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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: rock · kick · row · current · net · date · ball · bound

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. ball — a dance
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. row — a line
  5. bound — obliged
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. current — happening now
  9. current — of water
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. bound — certain
  12. bound — tied together
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. kick — in football
  15. net — for catching
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. date — the fruit
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — in sport
  20. row — to paddle
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. rock — music
  23. rock — a stone
  24. ball — a great time

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