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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: rule · lash · rash · wound · current · pound · pitcher · net

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. wound — an injury
  4. net — for catching
  5. current — of water
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. net — after costs
  13. current — happening now
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. wound — an injury
  18. rash — a series
  19. rule — government
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. rash — hasty
  22. net — in sport
  23. rule — a law
  24. pound — to hit hard

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