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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: dip · current · bulb · bat · straw · rock · racket · sharp

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. bulb — for light
  5. current — electric
  6. current — happening now
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. rock — a stone
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. current — of water
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. rock — music
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. sharp — clever
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. bulb — for light

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