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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 116 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: club · mark · swing · racket · net · current · kid · mug

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. current — electric
  3. mark — a grade
  4. current — happening now
  5. net — for catching
  6. club — for dancing
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. kid — to tease
  10. current — of water
  11. net — in sport
  12. mug — a face
  13. net — after costs
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. club — a group
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. kid — child
  19. swing — to play on
  20. mug — to rob
  21. swing — music
  22. swing — in golf
  23. club — for golf
  24. racket — for tennis

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