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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 120 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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. bass — low music
  3. band — a music group
  4. current — of water
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. content — happy
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. key — the most important part
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. present — the time now
  12. current — electric
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bass — the fish
  15. root — the cause
  16. key — in music
  17. present — there
  18. key — for a lock
  19. root — of a word
  20. root — of a plant
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. band — a ring
  23. present — a gift
  24. content — the amount

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