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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 · cap · race · bass · current · net · rock · can

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. current — electric
  3. rock — a stone
  4. race — a contest
  5. net — after costs
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cap — a hat
  8. net — in sport
  9. current — happening now
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. current — of water
  12. race — the arms race
  13. net — for catching
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. race — humankind
  16. bass — low music
  17. cap — of ice
  18. can — to be able to
  19. can — a tin
  20. rock — music
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. bass — the fish
  24. rock — to move gently

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