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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. mug — to rob
  3. bass — low music
  4. content — happy
  5. current — of water
  6. current — electric
  7. band — a ring
  8. content — the amount
  9. firm — steady
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. mug — a face
  12. mug — a cup
  13. bass — the fish
  14. band — a music group
  15. court — of a king
  16. key — in music
  17. court — for sport
  18. firm — decided
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. court — of law
  21. key — for a lock
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. key — the most important part
  24. firm — a company

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