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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. ground — crushed
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. bass — low music
  5. current — happening now
  6. swing — music
  7. ground — the earth
  8. pass — a permit
  9. stock — goods
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. current — of water
  15. branch — a division
  16. ground — a position
  17. swing — in golf
  18. bass — the fish
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. stock — shares
  21. swing — to play on
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. bass — the instrument

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