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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 · deal · plane · dip · season · track · calf · net

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. track — a path
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. current — electric
  6. net — for catching
  7. season — in sport
  8. dip — to sink
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. deal — to handle
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. net — after costs
  16. current — of water
  17. current — happening now
  18. season — of the year
  19. track — a song
  20. track — to keep track
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. plane — a tool
  23. net — in sport
  24. calf — a young animal

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