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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: club · wave · pitcher · current · cap · roll · dip · drill

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. cap — of ice
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. roll — a list
  7. club — for dancing
  8. current — happening now
  9. roll — a cake
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. dip — to sink
  12. club — for golf
  13. club — a group
  14. drill — a practice
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. current — of water
  17. cap — a lid
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. drill — the tool
  21. cap — a hat
  22. current — electric
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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