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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the fish
  4. key — in music
  5. key — for a lock
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. current — happening now
  9. key — the most important part
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. current — of water
  12. current — electric
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — in a race
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. pit — a hole
  21. shower — to wash
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. shower — rain

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