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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. current — happening now
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. fine — high quality
  7. roll — a cake
  8. current — electric
  9. current — of water
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. roll — a list
  12. march — the month
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. march — the month
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. fine — all right
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cap — a lid
  20. bass — the fish
  21. rock — a stone
  22. bass — low music
  23. cap — of ice
  24. march — music

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