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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. suit — in cards
  3. current — electric
  4. net — in sport
  5. net — after costs
  6. current — of water
  7. bass — low music
  8. suit — to fit
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. suit — clothes
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. season — of the year
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. season — in sport
  17. current — happening now
  18. net — for catching

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