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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bass — low music
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. shower — to wash
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a great time
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. current — electric
  9. shower — rain
  10. squash — the sport
  11. bass — the fish
  12. current — happening now
  13. rash — a series
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. squash — to crush
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. plane — a tool
  20. rash — hasty
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. current — of water
  23. fine — all right
  24. fine — high quality

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