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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. current — happening now
  3. pop — soda
  4. current — of water
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. file — a line of people
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. pop — music
  9. capital — a city
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pop — to visit
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. bass — low music
  15. capital — money
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. current — electric
  19. file — a tool
  20. pit — in a race
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bass — the fish
  23. file — a document
  24. arm — part of the body

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