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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. current — electric
  3. current — happening now
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. current — of water
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. ball — a great time
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. ball — a dance
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. band — a music group
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bore — to tire
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. band — a ring
  21. bore — to drill
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. dip — to sink
  24. bass — the fish

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