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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: cold · court · cabinet · dip · net · date · rock · current

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. 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. date — the fruit
  2. rock — a stone
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. court — of law
  5. cold — an illness
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. current — electric
  8. current — happening now
  9. court — of a king
  10. dip — to sink
  11. current — of water
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rock — music
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. court — for sport
  16. net — in sport
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. net — after costs
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. cold — not warm
  24. 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