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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. suit — clothes
  3. ground — crushed
  4. mark — a grade
  5. ball — a dance
  6. fine — all right
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. current — of water
  9. march — music
  10. bass — the fish
  11. ball — a great time
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. march — the month
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. current — happening now
  16. bass — low music
  17. ground — a position
  18. mark — a trace
  19. march — the month
  20. ground — the earth
  21. fine — high quality
  22. suit — in cards
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. suit — to fit

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