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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. ball — a dance
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. current — electric
  6. current — of water
  7. rest — what's left
  8. pound — a weight
  9. rest — what's left
  10. squash — the sport
  11. bass — low music
  12. track — to keep track
  13. track — a path
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. squash — to crush
  17. current — happening now
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. track — a song
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. bass — the fish
  22. deal — to handle
  23. rest — a break
  24. squash — the vegetable

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