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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: current · prune · dip · suit · present · rush · cold · scale

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. present — the time now
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. suit — clothes
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — in music
  7. present — a gift
  8. current — happening now
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. prune — to trim
  11. cold — not warm
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. current — of water
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. present — there
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. suit — to fit
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. rush — hurry
  20. current — electric
  21. cold — an illness
  22. prune — to trim
  23. dip — to sink
  24. suit — in cards

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