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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: squash · fan · dip · net · pit · content · current · hand

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. current — electric
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. current — of water
  6. hand — in cards
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. net — after costs
  10. squash — to crush
  11. current — happening now
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. dip — to sink
  16. net — for catching
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. content — happy
  19. hand — help
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. net — in sport
  22. squash — the sport
  23. pit — a hole
  24. content — the amount

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