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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. ground — the earth
  5. ground — a position
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. current — happening now
  9. court — of law
  10. current — of water
  11. bass — the fish
  12. present — there
  13. band — a music group
  14. court — for sport
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bass — low music
  17. band — a ring
  18. ground — crushed
  19. court — of a king
  20. present — a gift
  21. current — electric
  22. present — the time now
  23. bore — to drill
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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