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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. land — to come down
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. current — happening now
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. cell — a phone
  9. deal — to handle
  10. current — of water
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. cap — a lid
  16. bass — low music
  17. land — a country
  18. cap — a hat
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. cell — in biology
  21. land — ground
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bowl — a dish

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