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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 120 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: current · wound · wake · game · suit · pit · dip · craft

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. suit — in cards
  4. current — of water
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. current — happening now
  9. pit — in a race
  10. game — a match
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. game — wild animals
  14. suit — to fit
  15. craft — a skill
  16. wound — an injury
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. dip — to sink
  20. craft — boats
  21. suit — clothes
  22. pit — a hole
  23. current — electric
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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