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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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. staff — employees
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. staff — employees
  6. bass — low music
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. fork — in a road
  9. current — happening now
  10. net — in sport
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. staff — a stick
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. net — for catching
  19. deal — to handle
  20. net — after costs
  21. bass — the fish
  22. current — electric
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wax — to grow

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