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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. content — the amount
  3. current — happening now
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. current — electric
  7. hand — help
  8. foot — a measure
  9. chest — of your body
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. court — of law
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. bass — the fish
  14. current — of water
  15. court — for sport
  16. vault — a safe
  17. chest — a box
  18. court — of a king
  19. chest — of your body
  20. content — happy
  21. hand — in cards
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. bass — low music

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