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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 120 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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. current — happening now
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bass — the fish
  8. ball — a dance
  9. staff — employees
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. wind — moving air
  12. stem — to come from
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. staff — employees
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. current — of water
  18. current — electric
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. wind — moving air
  21. pound — a weight
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. staff — a stick
  24. bass — low music

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