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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. march — the month
  3. march — music
  4. current — of water
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. track — to keep track
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pop — music
  9. current — electric
  10. march — the month
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. track — a path
  13. bear — the animal
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bear — the animal
  19. current — happening now
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. track — a song
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. pop — soda

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