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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: bulb · dip · land · stick · current · lie · net · chip

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. net — for catching
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. land — to come down
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. land — ground
  8. land — a country
  9. bulb — for light
  10. chip — to eat
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. net — after costs
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. current — electric
  17. net — in sport
  18. lie — to recline
  19. current — happening now
  20. chip — for betting
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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