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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. prune — to trim
  5. scale — size or range
  6. current — happening now
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. board — a committee
  9. can — to be able to
  10. rock — music
  11. season — in sport
  12. can — a tin
  13. current — of water
  14. rock — a stone
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. bass — the fish
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. current — electric
  20. can — a tin
  21. prune — to trim
  22. scale — in music
  23. board — to get on
  24. season — of the year

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