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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. current — happening now
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a great time
  7. row — a line
  8. bass — low music
  9. toast — bread
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. sharp — clever
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. current — electric
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. current — of water
  21. row — to paddle
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. leaves — of a tree

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