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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. bass — low music
  3. file — a line of people
  4. bear — the animal
  5. land — ground
  6. bear — the animal
  7. lean — thin
  8. land — a country
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. current — electric
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. land — to come down
  16. file — a tool
  17. ball — a great time
  18. pass — a permit
  19. lean — to bend
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. current — happening now
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. ball — a dance
  24. current — of water

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