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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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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 · press · kid · racket · wind · pit · plane · dip

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. kid — to tease
  3. dip — to sink
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. kid — child
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. wind — moving air
  8. pit — in a race
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. press — newspapers
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. wind — moving air
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. press — a publisher
  18. current — electric
  19. pit — a hole
  20. plane — a tool
  21. current — of water
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. press — to push

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