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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 · dip · rush · game · band · racket · current · deal

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. net — for catching
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. current — of water
  5. current — happening now
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. band — a ring
  8. band — a music group
  9. game — a match
  10. current — electric
  11. dip — to sink
  12. deal — to handle
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. net — after costs
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. net — in sport
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. game — wild animals
  23. rush — hurry
  24. deal — an agreement

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