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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. bass — low music
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. current — happening now
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bank — for money
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bank — for money
  18. current — of water
  19. deal — to handle
  20. season — in sport
  21. bank — of a river
  22. season — of the year
  23. current — electric
  24. deal — a big deal

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