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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. track — a path
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hand — help
  5. current — happening now
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. pop — soda
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bat — the animal
  11. pop — to visit
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. track — a song
  14. current — of water
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. bass — low music
  19. rest — a break
  20. track — to keep track
  21. pop — music
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — what's left
  24. current — electric

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