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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: land · snap · cap · bass · calf · net · current · racket

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. cap — of ice
  3. land — a country
  4. land — ground
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. cap — a hat
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. current — electric
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. land — to come down
  12. current — of water
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — for catching
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. net — after costs
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. cap — a lid
  22. current — happening now
  23. bass — low music
  24. snap — to click

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