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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: rule · net · calf · current · toast · dip · bat · deal

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. net — after costs
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. current — happening now
  6. bat — the animal
  7. rule — a law
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. dip — to sink
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. rule — government
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. current — electric
  17. net — for catching
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. current — of water
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. net — in sport
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. deal — to handle

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