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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. mine — for digging
  3. current — electric
  4. bass — the fish
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. bass — low music
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. drill — the tool
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. cell — a phone
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stand — to bear
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. rush — hurry
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. drill — a practice
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. cell — in biology
  22. drill — army training
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. current — of water

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