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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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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: dip · chest · drill · pitcher · kid · current · ruler · object

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. current — happening now
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. object — to protest
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. chest — of your body
  8. object — a thing
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. object — an aim
  11. drill — army training
  12. chest — a box
  13. chest — of your body
  14. dip — to sink
  15. kid — child
  16. current — electric
  17. current — of water
  18. drill — a practice
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. kid — to tease
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. drill — the tool

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