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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bass — low music
  4. current — happening now
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. mark — a trace
  8. snap — to click
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bark — to shout
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bass — the fish
  17. current — of water
  18. mark — a grade
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bat — the animal
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. rush — to hurry

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