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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: dip · date · drill · game · net · rash · rule · current

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. net — for catching
  4. drill — a practice
  5. rash — a series
  6. net — in sport
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. rule — a law
  9. rash — hasty
  10. dip — to sink
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. game — wild animals
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. current — electric
  16. rule — government
  17. drill — army training
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. date — the fruit
  20. drill — the tool
  21. net — after costs
  22. game — a match
  23. current — happening now
  24. current — of water

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