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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bass — the fish
  3. deal — to handle
  4. current — happening now
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. toast — bread
  8. current — of water
  9. root — of a word
  10. face — to confront
  11. face — to point toward
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. kick — in football
  14. current — electric
  15. club — a group
  16. club — for dancing
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. root — of a plant
  19. face — part of the head
  20. club — for golf
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. root — the cause
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. kick — a thrill

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