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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.

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
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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: current · key · stick · dip · can · net

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. net — after costs
  4. key — in music
  5. current — electric
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. key — the most important part
  12. can — a tin
  13. current — of water
  14. key — for a lock
  15. net — in sport
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. dip — to sink
  18. net — for catching

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