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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. bass — low music
  3. current — happening now
  4. track — a song
  5. stock — shares
  6. track — a path
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bass — the fish
  12. track — to keep track
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. drill — a practice
  16. drill — army training
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. drill — the tool
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. current — electric
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — a place of worship

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