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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: date · rash · club · current · content · fan · dip · degree

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. rash — a series
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. rash — hasty
  6. club — for dancing
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. club — a group
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. club — for golf
  12. content — the amount
  13. degree — temperature
  14. degree — an amount
  15. dip — to sink
  16. content — happy
  17. date — the fruit
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. degree — from a university
  21. current — of water
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. current — happening now
  24. current — electric

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