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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.

Words on the sheet
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: current · chip · hide · pit · pop · cell · net · date

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. cell — in biology
  3. pop — music
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. pop — soda
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. pop — to visit
  9. net — after costs
  10. current — happening now
  11. pit — a hole
  12. current — electric
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. current — of water
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — to eat
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pit — in a race
  19. net — in sport
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. chip — for betting
  23. date — the fruit
  24. cell — a phone

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