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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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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: mark · rock · net · swing · ruler · current · race · kid

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. race — humankind
  6. swing — music
  7. swing — to play on
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. mark — a grade
  10. race — a contest
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. net — for catching
  13. swing — in golf
  14. mark — a trace
  15. rock — a stone
  16. current — electric
  17. current — happening now
  18. net — in sport
  19. kid — child
  20. rock — music
  21. kid — to tease
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. race — the arms race
  24. current — of water

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