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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. net — in sport
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. bass — low music
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. dip — to sink
  10. drill — the tool
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. net — for catching
  13. bass — the fish
  14. drill — army training
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. current — of water
  17. deal — to handle
  18. drill — a practice
  19. net — after costs
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. current — happening now
  24. cabinet — ministers

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