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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 120 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 play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bass — low music
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. net — for catching
  6. bass — the fish
  7. current — electric
  8. current — happening now
  9. suit — in cards
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. net — in sport
  12. chest — a box
  13. hand — in cards
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. suit — to fit
  16. current — of water
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — the underground
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — of your body
  21. hand — help
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. suit — clothes
  24. net — after costs

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