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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: rash · object · wave · game · kid · current · pit · dip

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. current — electric
  4. kid — to tease
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. rash — hasty
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. object — to protest
  9. game — a match
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. game — wild animals
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. object — a thing
  14. current — happening now
  15. rash — a series
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. kid — child
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. dip — to sink
  22. object — an aim
  23. current — of water
  24. pit — a hole

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