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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. current — electric
  3. bass — low music
  4. mark — a grade
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. bass — the fish
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. row — to paddle
  14. row — a line
  15. current — of water
  16. dip — to sink
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. rush — hurry
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — to trim
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. current — happening now
  23. mark — a trace
  24. dip — to dunk

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