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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 116 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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  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. row — a line
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bass — the fish
  4. ground — crushed
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. bass — low music
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. current — happening now
  10. current — of water
  11. ground — the earth
  12. row — to paddle
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pound — a weight
  16. current — electric
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. ground — a position
  19. pop — soda
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — the underground
  22. tube — a container
  23. pop — music
  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