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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · current · racket · land · cell · dip · cabinet · press

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. land — to come down
  6. current — of water
  7. net — for catching
  8. current — electric
  9. cell — a phone
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. dip — to sink
  12. press — a publisher
  13. current — happening now
  14. land — a country
  15. net — after costs
  16. cell — in biology
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. net — in sport
  19. press — newspapers
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. land — ground
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. press — to push

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