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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: date · last · degree · mine · dip · current · racket · wave

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. current — electric
  3. degree — from a university
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. current — happening now
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. date — the fruit
  10. degree — an amount
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. last — finally
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. dip — to sink
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. current — of water
  19. degree — temperature
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. last — to go on
  22. last — final
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mine — an explosive

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