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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bass — low music
  5. bass — the fish
  6. current — happening now
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. field — a subject
  11. field — farmland
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. field — for sport
  16. pop — soda
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. mine — for digging
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. pop — music
  22. current — electric
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. pop — to visit

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