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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. track — a song
  4. current — electric
  5. band — a ring
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. bass — the fish
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. current — of water
  10. saw — the tool
  11. game — wild animals
  12. bass — low music
  13. track — to keep track
  14. band — a music group
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — thin
  17. current — happening now
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wound — an injury
  20. track — a path
  21. game — a match
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. saw — the tool
  24. wound — an injury

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