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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. current — electric
  4. squash — the sport
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bound — tied together
  7. current — happening now
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. staff — a stick
  10. present — there
  11. staff — employees
  12. present — the time now
  13. squash — to crush
  14. bound — certain
  15. spell — a short time
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. present — a gift
  19. bass — low music
  20. spell — letters
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. current — of water
  23. spell — magic
  24. bound — obliged

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