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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: current · dip · net · drill · lash · march · suit · pit

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. net — after costs
  4. current — electric
  5. current — of water
  6. march — music
  7. march — the month
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. pit — a hole
  10. suit — to fit
  11. drill — a practice
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. net — for catching
  14. drill — the tool
  15. drill — army training
  16. suit — clothes
  17. dip — to sink
  18. march — the month
  19. suit — in cards
  20. pit — in a race
  21. net — in sport
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lash — to lash out

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