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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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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. current — happening now
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. track — a song
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a path
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. current — electric
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. stock — shares
  12. current — of water
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. bass — low music
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bass — the fish
  18. leaves — to go away

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