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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. can — to be able to
  3. current — electric
  4. bear — the animal
  5. rush — hurry
  6. drill — the tool
  7. can — a tin
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. can — a tin
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bear — the animal
  12. drill — a practice
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. current — of water
  15. drill — army training
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. mine — for digging
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. current — happening now
  24. rush — to hurry

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