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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bass — low music
  5. band — a ring
  6. rock — music
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. cue — for pool
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. bass — the fish
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bark — to shout
  14. current — electric
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rock — a stone
  18. band — a music group
  19. current — happening now
  20. cue — a signal
  21. prune — to trim
  22. cue — a hint
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. prune — the fruit

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