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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. club — a group
  3. current — electric
  4. current — of water
  5. bass — low music
  6. mark — a grade
  7. press — a publisher
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. club — for dancing
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. firm — decided
  12. current — happening now
  13. capital — a city
  14. press — to push
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. club — for golf
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. firm — steady
  20. mark — a trace
  21. firm — a company
  22. press — newspapers
  23. capital — money
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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