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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — of water
  3. suit — in cards
  4. bass — low music
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pound — a weight
  7. suit — to fit
  8. current — electric
  9. foot — a measure
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. suit — clothes
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — for money
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. date — the fruit
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bass — the fish
  22. wound — an injury
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. bank — of a river

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