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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: drill · pit · arm · plane · rash · current · dip · pitcher

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. drill — a practice
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. dip — to sink
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. current — of water
  9. current — electric
  10. rash — hasty
  11. pit — a hole
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. plane — a tool
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. drill — army training
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. pit — in a race
  20. drill — the tool
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. rash — a series
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. current — happening now

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