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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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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: net · charge · bass · deal · dip · kid · rock · current

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. dip — to sink
  3. charge — a price
  4. bass — the fish
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. bass — low music
  8. rock — music
  9. kid — child
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. deal — to handle
  12. net — for catching
  13. charge — in control
  14. net — after costs
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. rock — a stone
  17. kid — to tease
  18. current — happening now
  19. charge — electricity
  20. net — in sport
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. current — of water
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. current — electric

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