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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 · spell · cabinet · current · pit · bass · content · tube

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. tube — the underground
  5. spell — letters
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. current — electric
  10. spell — magic
  11. pit — in a race
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. current — happening now
  14. content — happy
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. content — the amount
  18. bass — the fish
  19. spell — a short time
  20. tube — a container
  21. dip — to sink
  22. pit — a hole
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. dip — a sauce

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