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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. bass — the fish
  3. current — happening now
  4. staff — employees
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. current — electric
  8. march — music
  9. pass — a permit
  10. rock — a stone
  11. march — the month
  12. rock — music
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. staff — a stick
  15. march — the month
  16. ground — the earth
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. ground — a position
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bass — low music
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. ground — crushed
  24. staff — employees

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