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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.

Make a worksheet

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: stand · net · current · chair · shower · bark · lie · racket

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. stand — to bear
  6. lie — to recline
  7. net — after costs
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. shower — to wash
  10. chair — a leader
  11. current — electric
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bark — to shout
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. net — for catching
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. current — happening now
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. shower — rain
  23. current — of water
  24. net — in sport

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