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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. fine — high quality
  5. pop — soda
  6. row — a line
  7. pop — music
  8. band — a ring
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. pop — to visit
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. date — the fruit
  14. current — happening now
  15. row — to paddle
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. band — a music group
  19. bass — the fish
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. bass — low music
  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